- 6
Ingredients
- 6 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS
- SQUAB a l'ORANGE WITH CRYSTALLIZED TAMARIND
- JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN
- FOR BROTH
- 1 cup Japanese rice vinegar (not seasoned)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry Sherry
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped peeled ginger
- 2 tablespoons star anise pieces
- 2 1/3 cups fresh orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons Lapsang Souchong tea leaves
- FOR SQUAB
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3 white peppercorns
- 3 whole star anise (or 1 1/2 tsp pieces)
- 1 (1-inch) piece of cinnamon stick
- 1 clove
- 6 (1-lb) boneless squabs, wing tips discarded and squabs halved lengthwise
- 3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-Tbsp pieces
- EQUIPMENT: an electric coffee/spice grinder
- GARNISH: flaky sea salt; slices of peeled Asian pear, cut into diamonds; slivers of crystallized tamarind; sprigs of baby cress
Preparation
Step 1
MAKE BROTH:
Blend together vinegar, soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, and star anise in a blender until smooth.
Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil with juice and sugar, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat and stir in tea. Let steep, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
MAKE SQUAB:
Preheat broiler. Line a large (17- by 12-inch) 4-sided sheet pan with foil. Finely grind spices with 1/2 teaspoon salt in grinder.
Pat squab dry, then sprinkle each half all over with 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture.
Arrange, skin side up, in sheet pan and place 1/2 tablespoon butter under each half.
Broil 2 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 minute.
Cut each squab half into 3 pieces and arrange in shallow bowls.
Ladle some of broth around squab (you will have some broth left over), then drizzle some of buttery pan juices over squab.