This recipe calls for lardons of smoked bacon. You can make these from any slab bacon that you buy in the store-preferably nice thick slices from the butcher. (Packaged bacon is typically too thin and yields a dry unappealing lardon.) Stack the slices one on top of the others and cut the bacon into ½-inch pieces. Of course, there are several ways to make lardons. Classically, they are started in the frying pan with water, but for most purposes, you can feel free to throw them into a pan and cook them over medium-high heat until they are well browned but not dry and hard-you're looking for nicely crisped, but tender bites of bacon. Once you make them, you may find that you want them in everything. --StarChefs

Yield: 2 Appetizer Servings

• 2 squab breasts
• ½ cup of fresh corn
• 5-6 bluefoot or chanterelle mushrooms, havled
• 7-10 haricots verts, blanched
• 1 Tablespoon lardons of smoked bacon
• 1 pinch of fresh thyme
• 3 ounces of canola oil
• 2 teaspoons truffle vinaigrette (see recipe below)
• 2 Tablespoons carrot-curry juice(see recipe below)
• salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauté pan, heat 2 ounces of the canola oil over moderate heat. Season the squab with salt and pepper. Cook squab skin side down in pan until skin becomes golden brown. Turn breast over and add a pinch of fresh thyme, baste bird with oil and pan juices until the breast is medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Keep in a warm place while preparing corn salad.

In another small sauté pan, heat remaining oil over moderate heat, add mushrooms and sauté lightly for 1-2 minutes. Add corn, bacon lardons, haricots verts, and a pinch of fresh thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning. Reserve

To plate, spoon warm corn and mushroom salad into the middle of a dinner plate. Top with squab breast and spoon some of the carrot-curry reduction around the plate. Then, take the truffle vinaigrette (still broken) and drag little drops of the vinaigrette through the carrot sauce. Serve.

Carrot-Curry Juice Reduction:

• 1 cup fresh carrot juice (available in gourmet groceries)
• 1 piece of ginger, 1-inch long
• 1 pinch of curry
• salt to taste

Place juice in a small pot over medium-low heat. Allow juice to simmer. Reduce until juice starts to thicken-about ¼ cup should remain. Remove from heat and add ginger and curry. Steep for 10 minutes. Add salt if necessary and strain. Keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Truffle Vinaigrette:

• 1 ounce well-reduced balsamic vinegar
• ½ shallot, finely minced
• 1 pinch fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 ounces white truffle oil

Combine the first 4 ingredients, and pour truffle oil on top, but do not mix up. (Leave "broken".)