Lacquered Squab W/ Gingered Cabbage And Fennel-pear Puree

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns
• 1 head fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 bartlett pears, peeled, cored and diced large
• 1/4 cup grape juice, fresh (verjus, a term zaar's computer won't accept)
• 1 small star anise (or 1/2 large)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 head napa cabbage
• 1/4 head radicchio
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 cups spinach leaves, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, fresh, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon scallion, minced
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins, softened in hot water and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 squab, backbones, breastbones and ribs removed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice powder

Recipe

• 1 for the sichuan pepper-salt:.
• 2 in a small heavy-bottomed pot, slowly roast the salt and peppercorns over low-medium heat until very aromatic, about 20 minutes.
• 3 cool; grind in a spice grinder and sift through fine sieve and set aside.
• 4 for the fennel-pear purée:.
• 5 combine the fennel, pears, verjus, anise, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottom pot.
• 6 bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until everything is very tender, about 30 minutes.
• 7 remove the star anise and purée in a high-speed blender until smooth.
• 8 adjust the seasoning and pass through a fine sieve and keep warm until ready to serve (should be about i cup of puree).
• 9 for the gingered napa cabbage.
• 10 chop the cabbage and radicchio into 1-inch dice.
• 11 heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat.
• 12 sauté the cabbage, spinach and radicchio separately until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes each.
• 13 while the cabbage and radicchio are sautéing, use a mortar and pestle to reduce the ginger, garlic and scallions to a paste.
• 14 return all the sautéed greens to the pan.
• 15 add the ginger, garlic and scallion paste to the greens and cook until aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• 16 add the raisins, vinegar, salt and sugar. remove from the stove and dress with sesame oil (should be about 2 cups of the cabbage mixture).
• 17 for the squab and assembly.
• 18 one hour before cooking, season the squab on both sides with the sichuan pepper-salt (use as much as you like--at least 1/2 teaspoon).
• 19 put the honey in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes until it becomes reduced and thick. set aside.
• 20 grill the squabs, skin side down over high heat until golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• 21 turn; sear the other sides for 1 to 2 minutes and then rest the squab on a plate for 5 minutes (the squab will be medium-rare).
• 22 brush the skin sides with a thin coat of warm honey.
• 23 return it to the hot grill before serving to lightly caramelize the skin for 1 minute on each side.
• 24 carve the squabs, slicing the breast meat.
• 25 on a serving platter, make a line of the hot fennel-pear purée from one end to the other. arrange the gingered cabbage in the center and the carved squabs around it.
• 26 arrange the legs standing up against the cabbage.
• 27 sprinkle sichuan pepper-salt on the sliced breast.
• 28 dust the plate with chinese 5-spice powder.