Squab, Huckleberry & Chanterelle

by Josh Dorcak from masashland.com

While not something you whip up a few minutes before dinner, this dish combines unusual flavors and a less than common protein, squab, that will leave your taste buds entertained. A warm dish that is enjoyed on a cold day with a glass of red wine and circle of friends, this dish can be prepped ahead of time, with the protein cooked right before serving.

Squab is making it’s way back on the table and in restaurants and with a little practice,  can become one of your entertaining recipes that will no doubt impressive your friends and you!

Total hands on time: 45 minutes

Total time: 5 hours

Yields 4-6 protein sides

Equipment:

• Sharp knife ( best sharpened by our E5 )
• Pan

Ingredients :

• 1 whole squab
• 2 tablespoons pickled huckleberry
• 6 chanterelle mushroom
• Squab sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine (or just enough to deglaze the pan)
• pinches of thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• tablespoon of grapeseed

    For the squab and sauce:

1. Remove the wings and legs from the squab.
2. Carefully cut down the rib cage and remove the breast meat still attached to the breast plate.
3. With the scrap bones, saute them in a bit of grapeseed oil until brown and add red wine and deglaze the pan. Add water to cover the bones and add thyme and garlic. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 hours. Strain the stock and reduce by half.

For the pickled huckleberry:

1. Combine equal parts red wine vinegar and sugar in a pot and heat until sugar is dissolved, let cool.
2. Add fresh huckleberry into the pickle and keep for a long time in refrigeration.

For the Chanterelle:

1. Heat a heavy pan over high heat, add a pad of butter and saute the mushrooms until they release their liquid.
2. Once the liquid starts coming out of the mushrooms, stop the cooking by staining the mushrooms in a sieve and reserving the mushroom liquid.
3. In the same pan, add the mushroom liquid and reduce to a glaze and then toss the mushrooms back in the pan to glaze the mushrooms.
4. Allow mushrooms to cool.

To finish:

1. In a heavy pan heat grapeseed oil, once hot add the squab breast skin side down and brown the skin.
2. Once colored flip the squab and add a pad of butter and baste the butter over the skin. Use a thermometer to temp the breast at 135 degrees fahrenheit.
3. In a small pot combine a ¼ cup of the stock. Add huckleberry and mushrooms and start to reduce the stock around the ingredients. Once the sauce has almost reduce in full add a touch more stock and a pad of butter and shake the pan and emulsify the sauce.
4. Slice the breast meat off the breast plate and slice into bite size pieces. Arrange on a plate and spoon the sauce, berries, and mushrooms over the squab.

To learn about our E5 sharpening and other kitchen tools, click HERE). To follow recipes and seasonal happenings with MÄS Ashland, you can find chef Josh Dorcak at www.masashland.com! 

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