Squab with Pears

Cooked and puréed Bosc pears make a pleasing and unusual sauce base for roast squab, a dark-meat bird that has only a hint of gamy flavor and can be served a little rare. Cornish hens, which taste more like chicken, are a good alternative. A 1-pound bird needs 15 minutes or so for roasting; larger hens will take longer and should be cooked until their juices run clear.

Buckwheat, with its mellow brown color, firm bite, and slightly nutty flavor, is a good contrast to the meat in thi