Spiced Guinea Fowl Food

ROASTED GUINEA FOWL WITH CHAPELURE DE LEGUMES AND APPLE CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F.
• To make the vegetable flakes, set a mandoline over a large bowl. Slice 1 fennel bulb paper-thin, then slice 1 onion, 1/2 of the celery root, and 1 of the apples to the same thickness. Switch to a vegetable peeler, and working over the same bowl, peel 1 carrot into thin ribbons. Mix the vegetables and spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven to dry the vegetables until completely brittle, about 2 1/2 hours. (If you have an oven with a convection function, this will shorten the drying time to 1 hour.)
• Transfer the vegetables to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until reduced to flakes. Store, covered, at room temperature. This can be done 1 day ahead.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• To prepare the birds, halve the remaining fennel, onion, carrot, and celery root, then cut them again into several small wedges. Place them in a large baking dish along with the potatoes and garlic. Generously season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix to coat.
• Season the guinea fowl with salt and pepper inside and out. Stuff the cavities with whole sprigs of thyme. Rub them all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the birds on the bed of vegetables. Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices.
• Cut the remaining apple into several wedges and add it to the roasting pan. Continue roasting and basting until the skin on the birds turns golden brown, another 20 minutes. Remove the birds from the oven, sprinkle them generously with dried vegetable flakes, then continue to roast until the juices run clear, another 10 minutes. Transfer the birds and roasted vegetables to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest while preparing the sauce.
• To make the pan sauce, pour the pan juices into a small saucepan. Skim and discard as much fat off the top as possible. Over medium-low heat, deglaze the roasting pan with the cider and simmer for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the roasting pan to loosen the browned bits. Add the hot cider from the roasting pan to the pan juices, and over high heat, reduce the liquid by half. Stir in the butter, season with salt and pepper, and pour it into a sauce boat. Sprinkle the birds and the vegetables with persillade. Carve the guinea fowl at the table and serve with the cider sauce.

SPICED GUINEA FOWL

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
• Put the guinea fowl skin side down in a baking dish and pour the sauce over.
• Cover the dish with plastic-wrap and leave in a cool place until you are ready to cook.
• You can do this as far ahead as the night before and refrigerate it.
• Pre-heat the oven to moderate.
• Discard the wrap and cover the dish with with a lid or foil.
• Cook in the center of the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid or foil, and turn the birds.
• Cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes, basting once or twice with the sauce.
• Transfer the birds to serving plates, season the sauce and spoon a little over each of the portions.
• Serve the rest seperately.
• This is good served with steamed rice, and it's a good way to cook pheasant or chicken quarters.

POT ROASTED GUINEA FOWL WITH CALVADOS CREAM AND APPLES

Steps:

• heat butter in a large deep saucepan (that has a tight fitting lid for later) on medium heat until it starts to foam, season bird and and brown in hot butter turning the bird using a cloth to protect your hands.
• at this stage when bird is sitting upright again, warm calavdos in a ladle over a direct heat, turn flame out and set to light the warm calvados using a long match and pour over the guinea fowl.
• when flames have died down add shallots and garlic anmd keeping heat low let them soften whilst you prepapre apples .
• remove cores form apples and cut into 1cm rings, asd you slice them add to the pan tucking them all around.
• now pour in the cider, add teh chopped sage and some seasoning, put on tight lid and let it cook very gently for one hour.
• When the bird is cooked remove and take to carving board and cover, simmer apples til liquid has almost evaporated, then add the cream the apples giving it a good shake, then turn heat off.
• crave guinea folw and arrange on serving platter, spoon the apples and a few sage leaves to garnish.

ROAST GUINEA FOWL WITH CHESTNUT, SAGE & LEMON STUFFING

Steps:

• First make the stuffing. Soften the onion in the butter very gently, then stir in the sage and cook for 2 mins more. Scrape into a bowl with the chopped walnuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, mace, chestnuts and egg and mix together well. Season generously.
• For the guinea fowl, wash and wipe out the inside cavity. Mix the butter with some seasoning, then push and spread some under the skin over the breasts, and rub the rest over the legs. Lay the bacon across the breasts, smoothing over, and season with some more pepper. Push the stuffing into the cavity (any extra can be rolled into balls and baked in the oven for the last 20 mins cooking time). You can cover and chill the guinea fowl now for up to 24 hours.
• To roast, bring the bird out of the fridge 30 mins before. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sit the bird in a snug roasting tin with the sliced onion underneath. Roast for 15 mins, then lower the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and roast for a further 35-45 mins for a 1kg bird (or longer if bigger - use the timings for a roast chicken). Check the bird is done by piercing the inside of the thigh with a knife and making sure the juices are clear, not bloody. Lift the guinea fowl off the onions, onto a platter. Loosely cover with foil, top with a towel (to keep it warm), and rest while you make the gravy.
• Pour off the juices from the roasting tray into a jug or bowl, and allow to settle. Spoon a tbsp of the fat on top back into the roasting tray, pop on the hob over a low heat (make sure your roasting tray is suitable or transfer contents to a pan), and stir in the flour until it isn't dusty anymore. Gradually stir in the stock, plus any meat juices after you've discarded the rest of the fat, and bubble gently until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and pinches of sugar if it needs it, then strain into a gravy jug and discard the onions. Serve with the guinea fowl, spooning out the stuffing as you carve, plus cranberry sauce and plenty of vegetables.