SHU BOK AP (Fried Squab)

Ingredients

• 2 whole birds Squab (whole pigeon) (Available from specialty butchers or poultry suppliers. Ask the butcher to leave them whole so you can portion them yourself as directed.)
• 2 cups (approximately, enough to shallow-deep fry) Olive oil or peanut oil (for deep frying) (Use enough oil to generously cover the base of the pan to a depth of at least 2–3 cm for frying the squab pieces until crisp.)
• 2 livers Chicken livers (Fresh chicken livers; trim away any sinew or greenish patches before chopping.)
• 1 onion Small onion (Peel and mince finely.)
• 2 tablespoons Syou (soy sauce) ('Syou' is the historical romanisation of shoyu (Japanese soy sauce). Use a standard light soy sauce.)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese almonds (small, blanched and chopped) (Chinese almonds are small, slightly bitter apricot kernels used in Asian cooking. If unavailable, use blanched slivered regular almonds. To blanch: cover with boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and slip off skins. Chop roughly.)
• 113 grams (approximately one quarter pound) White mushrooms (Button or cremini mushrooms work well. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and cut into small pieces.)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Use to season as needed during cooking.)
• 2 yolks Egg yolks, hard-boiled (Hard-boil 2 eggs, peel, and separate the yolks. The whites are not used in this recipe. To hard-boil: place eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, then cool in cold water before peeling.)
• 0.5 cup (approximately) Plain flour (for dredging) (Spread on a plate for dredging the squab pieces before frying.)
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil or peanut oil (for the sauce) (Used separately from the frying oil to cook the liver and mushroom sauce.)

Instructions

1. 1Place 2 eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water to cool completely, about 5 minutes. Once cool, peel the eggs, separate the yolks from the whites, and set the yolks aside. The whites are not used in this recipe.
2. 2Place one squab on a sturdy chopping board. Using a sharp heavy knife or kitchen shears, remove each leg by cutting through the joint where the thigh meets the body. Remove each wing by cutting through the shoulder joint. You will now have 2 legs and 2 wings per bird. Cut the remaining body (breast and back) into 4 pieces by first cutting in half lengthways through the breastbone, then cutting each half crossways. Repeat with the second squab. You should end up with approximately 12 pieces in total. Keep the pieces a reasonable size — not too small — so they stay juicy inside while becoming crisp outside.
3. 3Check each piece of squab for any remaining pin feathers or fine hairs. If you find any, singe them off quickly by passing the piece briefly over a gas flame or using a kitchen blowtorch — work carefully and quickly. Do not leave the flame in one place. Once singed, place all squab pieces in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and rinse well. Drain and pat every piece thoroughly dry with paper towels. Dry meat browns and crisps much better than wet meat, so take your time here.
4. 4Spread the plain flour on a large flat plate. Pour enough olive or peanut oil into a deep heavy-based frying pan or wok to reach a depth of about 2–3 cm. Heat the oil over high heat until it is shimmering and very hot — a small cube of bread dropped in should turn golden within about 30 seconds. While the oil heats, dredge each piece of squab in the dry flour, shaking off any excess so only a thin, even coating remains. Carefully lower the floured squab pieces into the hot oil in batches — do not crowd the pan. Fry, turning once or twice, until each piece is deep golden and crisp all over. Season with the teaspoon of salt as pieces come out of the oil. Once fried and crisp, remove the squab pieces with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside and keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
5. 5While the squab drains, carefully pour or drain off the used frying oil from the pan (or use a separate clean pan). Wipe the pan if necessary and return it to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh olive or peanut oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the finely chopped chicken livers. Spread them in the pan and let them colour for about 1 minute before stirring. Add the finely minced onion, the 2 tablespoons of syou (soy sauce), the tablespoon of Chinese almonds (blanched and roughly chopped), and the quarter pound (approximately 113 g) of white mushrooms cut into small pieces. Stir everything together well. Fry over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender, the livers are cooked through, and the sauce is fragrant and slightly reduced.
6. 6Transfer the hot liver and mushroom sauce to a warmed serving dish, spreading it across the base. Arrange the crispy fried squab pieces on top of the sauce. Finally, take the reserved hard-boiled egg yolks and crumble them by pressing through your fingers or through a fine sieve evenly over the top of the squab as a garnish. Serve immediately while everything is hot and the squab remains crisp.