Squab with Cabbage and Truffled Mashed Potatoes

To prepare the pigeon: Cut off the wings and reserve. Remove the neck and giblet and reserve. Wrap the liver and chill or freeze; use another time to make pate. Wash out the cavity well. Insert the thyme, bay leaf, and garlic into the cavity. Truss the pigeon with white cotton kitchen twine and set aside.

To prepare the cabbage: Cut the cabbage into four quarters. Remove the core and discard. Separate the cabbage into leaves. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and blanch the leaves just until softened. Drain, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again well.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Sauté the bacon in a medium ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat to render the fat. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add the cabbage leaves and toss gently to coat. Cut a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the top of the pan and place it over the vegetables. Place in the oven and braise for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the cabbage in a warmed bowl. Cover with the parchment and set aside; keep warm.

To prepare the potato: Cut the potato in two horizontally. Scoop out the flesh, reserving both the flesh and the skin. Place the flesh in a heatproof bowl and place a disc of parchment paper over the top; place the skin on a heatproof dish and cover with a disc of parchment. Keep the bowl and plate close to a heat source, such as the top of the stove, to keep the potato and skin warm.

To prepare the pigeon jus: Heat a heatproof sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the pigeon giblets, wings, and neck and let them sweat in the bottom of the pan, building a layer of caramelized juices in the bottom. Add the onions, garlic, and carrot and cook until they are softened slightly. Add the thyme sprigs and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Add the wine and stir up the browned glaze from the bottom. Reduce until nearly all liquid is gone. Add water to just cover the bones and cook until reduced by three-fourths in volume. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm.

To cook the pigeon: Preheat the oven to 500 F., or highest setting. Season the pigeon with salt and pepper. Place the pigeon in a baking pan and top each with 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, depending on oven temperature; about half way through the cooking, baste the pigeon with pan juices. Remove from the oven and set aside, keeping the pigeon warm.

To finish the potatoes and cabbage: Place the white truffle butter, truffle oil, and potato flesh in a saucepan over medium heat. Mash together with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue mashing until the potato is smooth and fully buttered. Fold the truffle julienne into the mashed potato. Heat the duck fat in a non-stick sauté pan and sauté the cabbage to warm it; season to taste with salt and pepper, drain on paper towels, and set aside.

To prepare the mushrooms: Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan or skillet. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Sauté until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and fine herbs. Set aside.

To finish the vegetables: Melt one tablespoon of the butter in each of four small sauté pans over medium heat. Put each vegetable in a separate sauté pan and toss to coat with butter. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until hot. Spread on paper towels to drain.

To finish and serve: Carve the pigeon, removing first the legs, then the breasts. Season the inside of the breast meat lightly. Adjust the degree of doneness to individual taste by cooking longer if necessary. Place the legs on a broiler pan and broil briefly to heat through and brown. Slice the breast meat diagonally into thin slices.

Crush the bones of the carcasses and put into the pigeon jus. Bring to a boil, then strain through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing the solids to extract all the flavor.

Cut the potato skin into two 2-inch circles.

Place a circle of cabbage on each warmed serving plate. Arrange the pigeon breasts over the cabbage. Place a pigeon leg at the 4 o’clock position on each plate. Put a disc of potato skin above the pigeon and cabbage on each plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt and top with truffle mashed potatoes. Sprinkle grated truffle on each. Arrange mushrooms and vegetables around the perimeter of the cabbage and sprinkle with fine herbs. Drizzle the pigeon breasts with pigeon jus.