John Neals Gingered Pears with Squab

In a saucepan combine ginger and stock. Peel pears and add to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and poach until pear is tender. Halve pears, remove cores and cut into a fan shape. Keep warm. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove breast and thigh-leg in one piece from each side of squab breast-bone; you will have 4 halves. Heat a heavy skillet with about 1/2 tablespoon oil over high heat. Season squab halves with salt and pepper and sear, skin-side down, until well-browned. Transfer to a baking dish and roast skin-side up 20 minutes, for medium-rare meat; cook longer, if desired. In skillet sweat shallots in pan drippings until tender. Add wine and deglaze pan, stirring to incorporate any browned bits. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmering and reduce liquid by half; add rich stock and about 3/4 cup of poaching liquid. Reduce liquids by half. To serve, fan pears on 2 warmed dinner plates and mound some rice; place squab halves on rice. Whisk butter into sauce a few pieces at a time and pour over. Serve garnished with parsley. This recipe yields 2 servings. Recipe Source: ESSENCE OF EMERIL with Emeril Lagasse From the TV FOOD NETWORK - (Show # EE-097 broadcast 01-07-1998) Downloaded from their Web-Site - http://www.foodtv.com Formatted for MasterCook by Joe Comiskey, aka MR MAD - jpmd44a@prodigy.com ~or- MAD-SQUAD@prodigy.net 03-20-1998 Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse