november 17 - november 20, 2003

Breast of Squab with Crusty Golden Beets and Sweet Potato Jus
Chef Wiley DuFresne of WD-50 – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

Beet Chips
• 1 red beet
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 yellow beets, tournéed into 10 pieces
• ½ Tablespoon butter
  
  
Sweet Potato Jus
• 1 sweet potato
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste
  
  
Squab Breasts
• 2 squab
• Clarified butter, as needed (enough to cover squab completely in a small pot)

For sweet potato jus:
Juice the sweet potato and reduce the volume of the juice by a half. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

For squab breasts:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Remove skin from carcass of squabs and reserve. De-bone breasts and legs and separate. Reserve legs for another use.

Clean skin and bake in oven 1 hour, pressed between 2 Silpats with weight on top.

Bring clarified butter to 160°F in a medium pot. Season squab breasts with salt and pepper and poach in butter for about 8 minutes. Allow to rest. Reheat golden beets in about 1 Tablespoon butter, then roll in pulverized red beets, coating thoroughly. Place beets in small pile on plates. Slice squab breasts. Make small pool of sweet potato jus on the plate. Place sliced breast on top of sauce. Drizzle plates with additional sauce and season sliced squab with salt.