Grilled Squab with Farro, Kabocha Squash, Cavolo Nero, and Pomegranate Salsa

Name: Grilled Squab with Farro, Kabocha Squash, Cavolo Nero, and Pomegranate Salsa
Ingredients: 6 bay leaves; 3 tablespoons coriander seeds; 1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns; 1/3 cup honey; 1/3 cup sherry; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon thyme leaves; 6 squab, broken down into breasts and whole legs; Farro with Kabocha squash and cavolo nero (recipe follows); Pomegranate salsa (recipe follows); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-diced Kabocha squash; 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons thyme leaves; 1 pound cavolo nero, cleaned, center ribs removed; 1/2 sprig rosemary; 2 chiles de árbol, crumbled; 1 cup sliced onion; plus 1/2 onion, cut into 3 wedges, root end attached; 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 small carrot, peeled, cut into 3 pieces; 1 stalk celery, cut into 3 pieces; 1 bay leaf; 1 1/4 cups farro (spelt); 1/4 cup sherry; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3/4 cup 1/4-inch-sliced shallots; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons finely diced shallots; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

January 24, 2012

I stole the marinade in this recipe from my husband. That strange combination of ingredients—toasted bay leaves, coriander, white pepper, honey, and sherry—lends an exotic and aromatic quality to the squab. Farro, Kabocha squash, and cavolo nero are three of my favorite things on earth, so in this dish, I just give in, sautéing them all together into a slightly labor-intensive but super-delicious “stir-fry.” I could eat it for lunch (or dinner!) every day. Embellished with a jewellike pomegranate salsa, this dish is a foray into the Near East.

Cooks' Note

Ask your butcher to break down the birds into quarters: breasts with wing tip attached, and whole legs (legs and thighs attached). Or, if you know how to butcher a chicken, this is simply a miniature version of that process.<br/>Marinate the squab overnight.