Pigeons and Squabs (Pigeons et Pigeonneaux)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •13-by-9-inch (33-by-23 cm) shallow roasting pan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine
• •Poultry shears, optional for halving

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the squabs

   Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Remove any packets from the cavities, but do not rinse the birds. Pat every surface and cavity thoroughly dry. Season inside and out with most of the salt and pepper, reserving a pinch of each for the jus. Tuck the wing tips underneath and tie the legs together without squeezing the breasts out of shape. Leave the birds for 20 minutes while the oven heats.

   Dry skin browns; damp skin steams. Keep the raw birds and their board away from the bread and watercress, then wash the board, knife, and your hands before continuing.
2. 2

   Build the bronze

   Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add half the clarified butter. Brown two squabs at a time, beginning breast-side down for about 2 minutes, then turning them onto each side and finally the back until the skin is an even deep bronze, about 5 minutes per batch. Add the remaining clarified butter as needed. Transfer the birds breast-side up to a shallow roasting pan with space between them. Divide 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the unsalted butter, the thyme, and the garlic around the birds, then spoon the melting butter over their breasts. If the skillet fond turns black rather than mahogany, move the birds out and wipe away only the burnt fat before continuing. Ça se rattrape, but black specks left behind will make the jus bitter.

3. 3

   Roast by temperature

   Roast the squabs breast-side up for 12 minutes, then baste them with the butter and juices in the pan. Continue roasting and begin checking after another 6 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest breast and inner thigh without touching bone. Remove each bird as both areas reach 160°F (71°C), usually after 18 to 25 minutes in the oven. If the breasts reach temperature while the thighs lag, shield the breasts loosely with small pieces of foil and continue checking every 3 minutes. Colour is already won; now protect the flesh.

   Squabs vary more in size than packaged chickens, so they may finish several minutes apart. Take each one out when it is ready instead of sacrificing the smallest bird to the largest.
4. 4

   Rest and verify

   Transfer the squabs to a warm platter and cover them very loosely with foil so the skin stays crisp. Pour all juices from the roasting pan into the skillet and reserve the pan for the canapés. Rest the birds for 10 minutes, then verify that the breast and thigh have reached 165°F (74°C). If either falls short, return that bird to the oven, with its breast shielded, for 3 to 5 minutes and check again. Never apologize at your own table; correct the temperature and carry on.

5. 5

   Toast the canapés

   Lower the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the softened unsalted butter over both sides of the bread. Lay the slices in the emptied roasting pan and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden at the edges but still able to absorb the squabs' juices. These canapés are buttered bread bases, not decorative croutons; they belong beneath the birds.

6. 6

   Make the pan jus

   Set the skillet containing the fond and roasting juices over medium heat. Spoon off excess clear fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan, then add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Pour in the stock and scrape every browned morsel from the skillet. Simmer briskly until reduced to about ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) and glossy enough to coat a spoon lightly. Add the vinegar and the reserved salt and pepper. Take the skillet off the heat and monter au beurre, mount the jus with cold butter, by whisking in the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) one small piece at a time. If it separates into greasy droplets, stop adding butter and whisk in 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of cold water off the heat until it comes together. Ça se rattrape. Taste once more; the jus should be savoury and bright, never thick like gravy.

   Reduction comes before the cold butter. Once the jus is mounted, boiling it can break the emulsion, so hold it beside the heat and serve promptly.
7. 7

   Set the table

   Place one toasted canapé on each warm plate and settle a squab on top. Spoon the jus around the bread and only lightly across the bird, leaving most of the burnished skin uncovered. Tuck the watercress alongside, where it can catch a little sauce without collapsing. Bring any remaining jus to the table in a warm jug. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask specifically for squab, a farm-raised young pigeon that has not yet developed the firm muscle of a flying bird. Wild pigeon and mature domestic pigeon are stronger and tougher; give those birds a braise instead of forcing them through this roast.
• •Frozen squab is an honest choice and often easier to find. Thaw it slowly in the refrigerator, then leave it uncovered for several hours so the skin dries. A carefully thawed bird will brown better than a supposedly fresh one trapped in wet wrapping.
• •Use unsalted chicken stock with some natural body, homemade or good store-bought. A salty stock becomes punishing as it reduces, while a thin one gives the butter nothing to hold. Technique first, always.
• •For easier dinner-party service, split each rested squab lengthwise through the breastbone and backbone with poultry shears, then set both halves over the canapé. Whole or halved, each guest receives one bird.
• •Pour a cru Beaujolais or a supple red Burgundy. Both have the freshness to meet the dark meat and butter without flattening the delicate jus.

Advance Preparation

• •The squabs may be dried, seasoned, and left uncovered in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours. Bring them out 20 minutes before browning so the chill begins to lift.
• •Cut the canapés, mince the shallot, trim the watercress, and measure the stock earlier the same day. Keep the butter for monter au beurre cold until the last moment.
• •Do not roast the birds or finish the butter-mounted jus ahead. The squab loses moisture when reheated, and the emulsion is meant to go directly from skillet to table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)