Pigeonneaux à la Bordelais

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sturdy poultry shears
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy ovenproof skillet
• •Small saucepan for clarifying butter
• •Rimmed sheet pan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large warmed oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the garnish

   Prepare the garnish and chicken gravy from Poulet Sauté Bordelaise (No. 1538) according to its own entry. Use only its garnish and gravy, because the squabs take the chicken's place in this cross-referenced preparation. Keep the artichokes and potatoes warm, hold the fried onion and parsley dry, and reserve at least ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the chicken gravy. The squabs cook quickly and wait badly, so every part of the surround must be ready before they meet the butter.

   Warm the serving platter now. A cold platter steals heat from these small birds before the first one reaches the table.
2. 2

   Open the squabs

   Set each squab breast-side down. With sturdy poultry shears, cut along one side of the backbone so the bird opens like a book, then press firmly over the breast and joints until it lies nearly flat. Trim loose fat and remove any pinfeathers, but leave the bird whole as the entry permits. Pat every surface thoroughly dry. Wet skin cannot brown properly, and browning is the foundation here.

3. 3

   Season and clarify

   Season the squabs evenly with the salt and pepper, working a little seasoning inside the opened birds. Let them stand for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 425°F (220°C). Melt the butter very gently in a small saucepan, skim away the foam, and pour the clear golden butterfat into a heatproof cup, leaving the milky sediment behind. This is clarified butter, still real butter, prepared so the pan can run hot without scorching its milk solids.

4. 4

   Sauté in butter

   Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, then add enough clarified butter to coat it generously. Lay in two squabs skin-side down and press them with a broad spatula for the first minute so the breast and legs make firm contact. Cook without shifting them for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is deep butter-gold and releases willingly, then turn and cook the inner side for 2 minutes. Transfer them skin-side up to a rimmed sheet pan and repeat with the remaining birds, adding more clarified butter as needed. If the butter turns black or smells acrid, remove the birds, discard the burnt fat, wipe away loose black specks, and begin again with fresh clarified butter. Ça se rattrape. The birds are not lost, but burnt butter must not reach the gravy.

5. 5

   Finish them together

   Set all four browned squabs in the oven, skin-side up, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, checking each bird separately. The thickest part of the breast should reach 160°F (71°C) and rise to 165°F (74°C) during a 7-minute rest; the inner thigh should register 165°F (74°C). If a breast is ready while its thigh lags, cover the breast loosely with foil and return that bird to the oven with its legs facing the hotter rear corner. Small birds vary, and the thermometer settles the argument.

6. 6

   Déglacer the pan

   Pour excess butter from the sauté pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon and every sound brown speck of fond. Déglacer means loosening that fond with liquid: set the pan over medium heat, add the reserved chicken gravy from Poulet Sauté Bordelaise (No. 1538), and scrape firmly with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the gravy runs glossy and lightly coats the spoon. If it becomes too tight, loosen it with another spoonful of hot gravy; if it remains thin, reduce it for another minute. Ça se rattrape in either direction.

7. 7

   Build the platter

   Arrange the rested squabs down the center of the warm platter, either opened whole or halved through the breastbone for easier serving. Surround them with the garnish from Poulet Sauté Bordelaise (No. 1538), keeping the artichoke bottoms, sliced potatoes, and onion roundels in distinct small heaps, with tufts of fried parsley between. Spoon the pan-brightened chicken gravy over the birds, not over the crisp onion and parsley. Bring the platter directly to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for young squab of roughly equal size, one bird per person. Equal birds cook together; a very large one hidden among smaller birds will leave you choosing between an underdone joint and three dry breasts.
• •Clarified butter is not a substitute for the butter in the source. It is butter with its water and milk solids removed, allowing the birds to take proper colour before the fat burns. Butter, not oil, carries the flavor of this sauté.
• •The garnish from Poulet Sauté Bordelaise (No. 1538) must be ready before the squabs enter the pan. The fried onion and parsley should remain dry and crisp while the artichokes, potatoes, and gravy stay warm.
• •Squab is poultry. For the home table, let the breast reach a safe 165°F (74°C) through cooking and rest, then carve promptly. If the temperature stalls below that point, return the bird to the oven instead of guessing.
• •A supple, Merlot-led red Bordeaux served slightly cool suits the dark, iron-rich meat. Avoid a heavily tannic bottle, since artichoke can make hard tannin taste harsher.
• •Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within two days. Reheat the squab gently with a spoonful of gravy, keeping any remaining fried garnish separate so it does not soften.

Advance Preparation

• •The garnish from Poulet Sauté Bordelaise (No. 1538) should be completed first and held warm for no more than 20 minutes. Its fried onion and parsley lose their character if left for hours.
• •The squabs can be opened, flattened, and dried up to 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate them uncovered on a rack, then season them 15 minutes before cooking.
• •The butter can be clarified a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Warm it only until fluid before sautéing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)