| 1 | Heat oven to 450 degrees. |
| 2 | Cut (or have the butcher cut) legs and breast meat with wings attached from the carcass of each squab. |
| 3 | Cut off wing tips. |
| 4 | Cover breast and leg pieces and refrigerate. |
| 5 | Place carcasses and wing tips in a roasting pan and cook in the oven until well browned. |
| 6 | Add diced carrot, celery and onion to the pan and continue to roast until vegetables are soft. |
| 7 | Reserve ?cup of chicken stock and add the remainder to the pan along with the thyme. |
| 8 | Lower heat to 375 degrees and simmer stock for 2 to 3 hours. |
| 9 | Strain through a fine sieve. |
| 10 | There should be about 4 cups of strained stock. |
| 11 | If there is more, pour the stock into a saucepan and boil atop the stove until reduced to 4 cups. |
| 12 | In a saucepan, cook shallots in 1 tablespoon butter until softened. |
| 13 | Add cherries and cover with red wine. |
| 14 | Raise heat and boil wine until almost completely evaporated. |
| 15 | Add strained squab stock and cook at a brisk simmer until reduced to sauce consistency, about 2 cups. |
| 16 | This will take an hour or more. |
| 17 | Season to taste with salt and pepper. |
| 18 | (recipe may be done ahead to this point. |
| 19 | Let sauce cool, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate. |
| 20 | Return squab and sauce to room temperature before continuing). |
| 21 | Peel salsify, placing peeled stalks in water with 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar. |
| 22 | Slice salsify crosswise into thin rounds and dry on paper towels. |
| 23 | Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauce pan. |
| 24 | Add salsify and turn to coat with butter. |
| 25 | Add ?cup reserved stock and simmer until salsify is tender. |
| 26 | Keep warm. |
| 27 | Return oven to 450 degrees. |
| 28 | Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil in an oven-proof skillet large enough to hold the squab pieces in a single layer. |
| 29 | (if necessary, use 2 skillets). |
| 30 | Brown pieces on all sides, then remove breast pieces. |
| 31 | Place skillet in the oven and cook legs for 5 minutes. |
| 32 | Add breast meat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until medium rare. |
| 33 | Remove from oven and let meat rest, loosely covered for about 5 minutes. |
| 34 | (if using cornish game hens, cook until completely done). |
| 35 | Meanwhile, return salsify to the heat. |
| 36 | Add spinach and remaining ?cup stock, cover pan and steam, tossing once or twice, until spinach is completely wilted. |
| 37 | Season to taste with salt and pepper. |
| 38 | Make a bed of spinach and salsify in the center of each plate. |
| 39 | Pour or spoon cherry sauce around the spinach bed and arrange 2 squab breasts and 2 legs atop sauce on each plate. |
| 40 | Serve with a sangiovese wine such as atlas peak. |
