Escabeche always conjures thoughts of travel to me as it’s more commonly used throughout the Spanish speaking world. The technique of cooking meat or fish then marinating it in an acidic mixture along with oil and spices before chilling and serving makes everything taste livelier it seems. I was looking for that zing to brighten up a cold January day although it is equally enjoyable during the hot summer months. Mostly though, I made this squab escabeche in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Portugal where this recipe is from…
Taken from a newly acquired Portuguese cookbook My Lisbon, this recipe will transport you to one of those old tabernas that still serve traditional meals. Squab (young pigeon) is worth seeking out as it gives a unique richness to this dish and the gaminess is cut wonderfully by the slightly acidic and a little bit sweet marinade. As with most escabeche, this tastes almost better the next day at room temperature with a loaf of crusty bread to soak it all up!
Crunchy carrots, soft peppers and onions form the base of the sauce, warmed by the cinnamon.
After marinating in smoked paprika, garlic, cinnamon and white wine, the squabs get seared in a hot pan in butter before roasting in the oven for a short time (10-12 minutes usually suffice for birds that small!).
Serve the squabs on top of the sauce with a generous glug of olive oil and let the flavors develop a bit before jumping in – it pays to be patient here (or leave some for the next day). Delicious hot or cold and requiring little efforts, this is rustic elegance destined to bring some zest to your weeknight dinners. Bom apetite!
Ingredients
2 whole squabs
For the marinade:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons/40 ml dry white wine
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
Smoked paprika
Flaky sea salt, ground white pepper, and cracked black pepper
For the sauce:
7 tablespoons/100 ml olive oil
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Flaky sea salt and ground white pepper
2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into 1/2 in rounds
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
3 tablespoons/50 ml red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
To finish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons/40 g butter
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Preparation
1. To marinate the squab: Put the squab in a bowl and cover with the oil, garlic, white wine, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Season with paprika, salt, white pepper, and black pepper. Leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours.
2. To make the sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons/40 ml of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick and cook gently until the onion is soft. Season with salt and white pepper. Add the carrots and red pepper and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the vinegar and the remaining 4 tablespoons/60 ml olive oil and cook gently until the red pepper is just soft. It’s nice to have the carrots be a little bit crunchy. Remove from the heat and leave to marinate while you cook the squab. Taste for seasoning after marinating and finish with an extra glug of extra-virgin olive oil.
3. To finish the dish: Preheat the oven to 390F/200C. Remove the squab from the marinade and gently pat them dry. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan over medium heat and add the squab, breast-side down. Cook evenly, turning them to get a golden color all over. Add the butter and, when it foams, use it to baste the squab. Transfer the squab, breast-side up, to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes (I prefer the meat to be pink. If you like it well done, cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.) Baste halfway through cooking. Remove the pan from the oven and let the squab rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, place the squab on the sauce and add a generous glug of extra-virgin olive oil.
