Pigeon Fermier Rôti, Mousseline...Pigeon Fermier Rôti, Mousseline de Panais Truffée et Jus Réduit aux Mûres Sauvages

Pan-roasted French squab breast and crispy confit leg served alongside a velvet black-truffle parsnip mousseline, glazed baby leeks, and a rich blackberry and Banyuls reduction jus.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Season the squab legs with salt, confit them slowly submerged in rendered duck fat or clarified butter for 40 minutes until tender, then sear skin-side down over high heat until crisp.

2. 02

   For the mousseline, simmer sliced parsnips in heavy cream and 30g of butter with a pinch of salt over low heat until completely tender (approx. 18 minutes). Transfer immediately to a high-speed blender, add the black truffle, and blitz until satin-smooth. Adjust seasoning and pass through a fine chinois.

3. 03

   For the jus, combine the Banyuls wine and half of the fresh blackberries in a small saucepan. Reduce by two-thirds, then add the poultry stock and thyme. Simmer gently until syrupy and coating the back of a spoon. Strain, whisk in 20g of chilled butter to mount the sauce (monter au beurre), and fold in the remaining whole blackberries.

4. 04

   Blanch the baby leeks in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, shock in ice water, then char lightly in a dry cast-iron skillet with a touch of butter.

5. 05

   Season squab crowns generously with fleur de sel. In a heavy-gauge copper pan, melt 30g of butter with crushed garlic and sage until foaming (beurre noisette). Sear the squab breasts on the bone, continuously spooning the nutty butter over the meat for 5-6 minutes until medium-rare (internal temperature 52°C/125°F). Rest for 6 minutes before carving off the bone.

6. 06

   To plate, swipe a warm quenelle of truffled parsnip mousseline across the base of warm service plates. Arrange one carved squab breast and one crispy confit leg alongside. Garnish with a charred baby leek and spoon the glossy blackberry-Banyuls jus generously around the poultry.