Focaccia-Stuffed Squab with Bean Stew
For the past 18 years, Celestino Drago (an F&W Best New Chef 1993) has opened great restaurants around L.A., like Drago Ristorante. Drago Centro is his most ambitious yet. Anchored by an enormous glass wine-storage tower, it specializes in updated Italian food, like the squab: “It’s traditional to stuff birds with plain bread,” Drago says, “but I like to use focaccia with herbs; it’s nicer.”
Focaccia-Stuffed Squab with Bean Stew
Focaccia-Stuffed Squab with Bean Stew
© John Kernick
Focaccia-Stuffed Squab with Bean Stew
- ACTIVE: 45 MIN
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TOTAL TIME:
2 HRS 45 MIN
- SERVINGS: 2
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup dried cannellini beans
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5 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
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1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
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1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice
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1 garlic clove, minced
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3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
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1 small red bell pepper
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4 ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
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Salt and freshly ground pepper
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2 cups 1/2-inch-cubed plain focaccia
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2 squab—neck and wing tips removed, livers reserved
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1 medium shallot, minced
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1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
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Directions
- In a medium saucepan, cover the cannellini beans with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans.
- In the same saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast the red pepper directly over a gas flame or under a preheated broiler until charred all over. Let cool slightly, then discard the charred skin, stem and seeds. Cut the pepper into 1/2-inch dice. Add the green beans to the cannellini beans and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted red pepper and season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the focaccia with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bake for 7 minutes, or until crisp; let cool. Leave the oven on.
- In a small skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Season the squab livers with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Add the shallot and cook over low heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Finely dice the livers and add them to the focaccia along with the shallot. Stir in the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the squab with the focaccia. Rub the butter all over the squab and season with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the squab, breast side up. Roast the squab in the upper third of the oven for about 20 minutes, basting every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast registers 130° for medium-rare. Transfer the squab to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes. Mound the stuffing from each bird onto each plate. Carve the breast halves and whole legs and transfer to the plates. Spoon the bean stew alongside and serve.
Focaccia-Stuffed Squab with Bean Stew
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