Top Chef, Season 9, Episode 7, Elimination Challenge

Squab Sausage:

• 2 pounds squab meat, silver skin removed
• 1 pound pork butt, diced
• 3 ounces salt pork fat back
• 2 tablespoons cold heavy cream
• 2 egg whites
• 3 sprigs thyme, cleaned
• 2 sprigs marjoram, cleaned
• 2 cloves garlic, cleaned
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• Honey, garnish
• Thyme leaves, garnish
• 6 leaves of watercress, garnish

Corn Milk:

• 6 ears of corn
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt, to taste

Pickles:

• 2 nectarines, julienned
• 1 shallot, julienned
• 2 jalapenos, julienned
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Jus:

• 1 shallot, rough chop
• 1 head of garlic, rough chop
• 1 medium piece of ginger
• 2 ounces brandy
• 2 ounces white wine
• 1 quart water
• 8 ounces roasted pigeon bone
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1/2 pound butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Plate:

• 2 squab breasts, each
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 6 sunflower sprouts

Squab Sausage:

1. Prep a large bowl with ice bath, inset another mixing bowl.

2. Place squab and pork butt in the bowl.

3. Combine all ingredients (except garnishes) in the bowl with squab and pork butt.

4. Place all grinder attachments in ice water. Grind meat mixture with a medium die. Keep sausage ice cold. Using plastic, roll the meat mixture in a 2 inch wide cylinder.

5. Poach the sausage in simmering water

6. Sear the sausage and glaze with honey and finish with fresh thyme leaves.

Corn Milk:

1. Juice corn and reduce juice on low heat until it thickens. Finish with butter and salt to taste.

Pickles:

1. Dissolve sugar into vinegar on low heat. Bring solution to a simmer and pour over nectarines, jalapenos, and shallots. Chill and reserve.

Jus:

1. Sweat garlic, shallots and ginger.

2. Deglaze with brandy and cook down. Deglaze again with white wine and add water and bones. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Strain out the bones and reduce again by half. Finish with thyme and add butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate:

1. Sear breasts, skin side down on high heat. Flip onto flesh side and rest off the stove.

2. Plate squab sausage with pickled nectarines, corn milk and watercress. Place breasts and pickles. Spoon jus over squab. Garnish with sunflower oil and sunflower sprouts.