Ingredients

• 4 x 450g/1lb Anjou squab pigeons
• 4 tbsp groundnut oil
• 50g/2oz butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled
• sliced
• 8 black peppercorns
• crushed
• ½ tsp thyme leaves
• 4 plump juniper berries
• crushed
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• shredded
• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
• pinch caster sugar
• 300g/11fl oz duck fat
• melted
• ¼ cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cloves
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp quatre épices
• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
• 1 small carrot
• diced
• 1 shallot
• chopped
• 1 celery stalk
• chopped
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 110ml/4fl oz port
• 150ml/5fl oz chicken stock or veal stock
• 150g/5oz kale
• tough stalks removed
• shredded
• 150g/5oz small ceps
• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 50g/2oz butter

Directions

• For the squabs
• remove the legs from the squab and set aside.
• Carefully remove the wishbones from the birds
• break the backbone and remove
• leaving the crown intact.
• Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together except the duck fat.
• Spread half the marinade into the bottom of a shallow dish
• place the squab legs on top and cover with the remaining mixture.
• Leave to marinade for 3-4 hours. Wash all the marinade off the legs and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
• Place the legs in a single layer into a shallow pan
• pour over the duck fat and poach very gently for 1½ hours
• or until the legs are meltingly tender. Allow the legs to cool in the fat.
• Remove the legs from the fat and using a small sharp knife
• remove the thighbone.
• For the ground spices
• toast the cinnamon
• coriander seeds
• cloves and peppercorns in a frying pan over a gentle heat until aromatic.
• Blend the spices in a spice grinder
• then sieve into a small bowl. Stir in the quatre épices and salt.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Season the crowns with the spice mixture
• Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat
• and brown the squab crowns
• skin-side down. Roast in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven
• add the butter to the pan
• allow it to foam then baste the birds for one minute.
• Remove the birds from the pan; place onto a wire rack and re-season with the spice mixture.
• For the sauce
• add the chopped vegetables and thyme to the roasting pan and cook for a few minutes scraping any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Drain any fat remaining in the pan
• then add the port and reduce to a syrup. Add the stock and reduce by half. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve
• season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm.
• For the kale and ceps
• heat a saucepan over a medium heat
• add the ceps and cook till they start to colour
• then add the curly kale and wilt. Add the butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Fry the squab legs
• skin-side down
• in a frying pan until the skin is crisp.
• To serve
• spoon the kale and ceps onto serving plates
• remove the breasts from the crowns and place on top. Place the squab legs on top and drizzle with the sauce.