Squab With Young Morels Roast Garlic And Sage Polenta Food

BRISKET SUPPER WITH MUSHROOM-SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons olive oil to a large Dutch oven, a couple of turns of the pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown all over, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and drain off meat fat if any accumulates. Add another turn or 2 of the pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions, garlic, bay and season with salt and pepper, cook to tender 8 to 10 minutes, add in a few pinches cloves and stir in the tomato paste 1 minute. Next stir in the wine and deglaze the pan, then add the stock and canned diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Settle the meat back into the pot and cover. Bake 1 1/2 hours, then uncover and bake 1 hour to reduce the liquids, then place the cover back on and cook until very tender, 1 1/2 hours more.
• Remove the brisket to the carving board and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Reduce the sauce a few minutes, simmering gently, uncovered to thicken a bit.
• Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat and add garlic and mushrooms, cooking until very tender, season with salt and pepper and stir in sage. Bring the stock-milk mixture to a boil in a saucepot and add the polenta. Whisk the polenta 2 to 3 minutes until it pulls away from the side of the pot. Add the butter, if using and fold in mushrooms.
• Slice the brisket and serve with sauce over polenta with mushrooms. Cool half of the brisket and store for later in the week. Scatter a few bitter greens over the top for an optional garnish.

ROASTED GARLIC POLENTA

Steps:

• In a heavy bottom pot, bring 5 cups of water and sea salt to a boil. Mix together the remaining 3 1/2 cups of water and corn grits in a bowl. When the pot of water comes to a boil, add the cornmeal mixture and stir quickly and continuously until the entire mixture is well blended. Add the roasted garlic paste. Reduce the heat so that the polenta is at a low simmer, stirring frequently. Continue to do so until the polenta pulls away from the pot (about 35 minutes). Pour the polenta into a baking sheet to cool. Cut into desired shape (squares for the Napoleon) and pan fry in olive oil until golden in color.
• To build the Polenta Napoleon:
• Place a bed of smoky greens on the plate and top with a polenta square. Top the square with a ladle of rosemary-scented white beans. Top the beans with another polenta square. Decorate the plate with roasted carrot sauce.

OVEN ROASTED SQUAB WITH PIQUILLO-BLACK PEPPER SAUCE WITH CHICKPEA POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the red wine and port and cook until reduced by three-quarters. Add the stock and cook until reduced to 2 cups. Strain the sauce into a bowl and add the piquillo peppers and, cracked pepper and season with salt.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Season the squab with salt and pepper to taste and place in the pan, breast side down and cook until golden brown. Turn the squab over, place in the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the water and 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Whisk in the yellow cornmeal, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally until the mixture pulls away from the pan. Add the chickpea puree and cook for 5 minutes. Place the mixture into a buttered 8 by 10 baking dish and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. When ready to serve, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the polenta into 2-inch squares or circles, season with salt and pepper and saute on both sides until golden brown. Garnish with parsley and serve with the squab and pepper sauce.

ROASTED FRESH CALIFORNIA SQUAB WITH ROASTED GARLIC CABERNET SAUCE SERVED WITH CELERY ROOT PUREE AND SWISS CHARD LEAVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• Remove liver and tie squab with kitchen twine.
• In a copper roasting pan, sear squab in vegetable oil over high heat. Add garlic and transfer to oven and continue roasting until meat is pink.
• Cut stem of swiss chard into 3-inch triangles. Bring pot of water to boil. Add celery root and cook until tender. Remove from heat and puree. In another pot, add 1/2 cup creme fraiche and cook until reduced by 25 percent. Add celery root puree. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• In a separate pot of boiling, salted water, add swiss chard triangles and cook until tender. Set aside and keep warm.
• In saute pan, add 1 tablespoon butter, onions and mushrooms, saute for 3 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup creme fraiche and swiss chard leaves. Cook until reduced and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add liver to roasting squab and leave 1 minute.
• Remove all from oven, separate legs and breast from carcass, reserve liver. Chop carcass using a French knife and return to stove with bones, garlic and wine. Reduce to 1/3, add stock and simmer 5 minutes longer. Add 1 tablespoon butter and press through in a china cap.
• Put dish together by placing puree of celery root in middle of a large plate. Display sliced breast and legs around the puree. Using a round cookie cutter, mound swiss chard leaves and liver in a tower on top of the puree. Place sauce around plate and finish by placing triangles of chard on sauce evenly spaced around the plate.

QUICK PARMIGIANO REGGIANO POLENTA

Steps:

• Cook polenta in boiling water according to package directions. Once the polenta has absorbed most of the water whisk in the butter, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

PAN-ROASTED SQUAB WITH SPRING GARLIC COMPOTE

Steps:

• Remove the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks from the squab and reserve. Using a large chef's knife, chop the bodies and wings into 3 or 4 pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the squab bones and parts and sauté until well browned. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic cloves. Cook until softened and lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes in all, then add 2 cups of the wine. Continue to cook until reduced by three-quarters, 6 to 8 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. You should end up with about 2 cups liquid. Discard the solids. Put the liquid in a clean saucepan and reduce until syrupy, or 1/4 cup total; the timing will vary depending on your stove and pan, but will be about 15 minutes.
• To make the compote, cut the spring garlic bulbs from the stems, then slice crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Film a sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat over high heat. Fry the garlic until crisp and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour off the oil. Add the remaining 1 cup wine to the pan and cook over medium heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Add the honey and cook until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve at room temperature.
• In a large sauté pan over high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat and fry the squab breasts, thighs, and drumsticks skin-side down first, putting a light weight on the breasts or pressing with a spatula, for about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook for 2 minutes longer, then turn once more to crisp the skin and finish cooking. Breasts should be served medium-rare, while thighs and drumsticks are cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• When ready to serve, reheat the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide the compote among 4 plates and place the squab pieces on top. Spoon the sauce around the squab and serve.