Squab With Pears

• 1/2 cup chicken stock, homemade or canned
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 firm, ripe Bosc pears (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved and cored
• 3/4 cup bulgur
• 4 medium squabs (about 11 ounces each), wingtips removed
• 2 tablespoons pear brandy
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (1/2 cup)

1. Place a rack in middle of oven, and heat to 500 degrees.
2. In a saucepan just large enough to hold pears in one layer, bring chicken stock, red wine and red wine vinegar to a boil.
3. Add pears in one layer, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through.
4. Take 2 pear halves, and cut into chunks.
5. Keep remaining pears covered to keep warm.
6. In a blender, puree chunks with poaching liquid.
7. Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil.
8. Add bulgur, and return to the boil.
9. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pan, and cook 15 minutes.
10. While bulgur is cooking and pears are poaching, rub each squab with pear brandy, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
11. Place squabs in a roasting pan, and roast for 16 to 17 minutes, or until juices run clear.
12. Drain any remaining water from bulgur, fluff with fork, stir in butter, and allow it to melt.
13. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
14. When squabs are roasted, remove to a platter.
15. If pears have cooled, reheat in microwave for 2 minutes.
16. Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat.
17. Pour in 1/3 cup water, and boil, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
18. Stir in pear puree and cardamom, and bring to a boil.
19. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in scallions.
20. Spoon some sauce over birds and bulgur, and pass the rest.

chicken stock, red wine, red wine vinegar, firm, bulgur, squabs, pear brandy, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, unsalted butter, ground cardamom, scallions

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9533 (may not work)