Mary Berry Guinea Fowl Recipes

POT-ROASTED GUINEA FOWL WITH SAGE, CELERY AND BLOOD ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove any excess fat from the cavity of each guinea fowl. Wash thoroughly inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the cavity with a little salt. Cut off the two ends of the oranges, stand them on end and carefully slice off the skin (once you have removed one piece of skin you can see where the flesh meets the skin). Slice the oranges into five or six rounds each. Remove the tougher outside ribs of the celery until you reach the white, dense bulb and slice across thinly.
• Put in a bowl, mix in the thyme and a small pinch of salt and pepper, then stuff the cavity of each guinea fowl with this filling. Pull the skin at the front of each guinea fowl's cavity forward, to cover the filling, and tightly tie/truss up.
• Heat a thick-bottomed pan and add the olive oil and the guinea fowl, the skin of which has been rubbed in sea salt and pepper. Cook until lightly golden on all sides, then add the garlic, butter and sage and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Add the wine at intervals, enough to keep the pan slightly moist at all times. Place in the oven for 45 minutes, checking every 10-15 minutes and just topping up the wine as necessary. The guinea fowl will be roasted and partially steamed.
• When cooked, carefully remove from the oven and place upside down on a dish, allowing all the juices and moisture to relax back into the breast meat for at least 5 minutes. While your meat is resting, make the gravy.
• Remove all the fat from the roasting pan and place the pan on gentle heat. In the bottom of the pan will be your cooked, soft, sweet, whole garlic cloves and some gorgeous sticky stuff--when this gets hot, scoop out the stuffing from the guinea fowl cavity and add to the pan with about 2/3 cup of wine. As the wine boils and steams, scrape all the goodness with a spoon from the bottom of the pan into the liquor. When it has all dissolved, leave to simmer gently. Squash the cooked garlic out of their skins with a spoon (discard the skins); this will also thicken the gravy slightly, as well as give it flavor. Pour any of the juices that have drained out of the rested birds into the pan with the gravy, simmer and season to taste. Serve the guinea fowl with roast potatoes and any simply cooked green vegetable--spinach, kale, bok choy or broccoli.

ONE-POT ROAST GUINEA FOWL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the vegetables with the oil and some seasoning in a large flameproof roasting tin. Place the bird on top of the veg, smear with 1 tbsp butter and lay the rashers in a row over the breast. Season generously, then roast for 40 mins.
• Remove from the oven and give the veg a stir while adding the garlic and thyme. Pour 200ml stock and the wine over the veg and return to oven to roast for another 40 mins until the bird is cooked through and the juices run clear.
• Remove the bird, place on a serving plate, cover with foil to keep warm and leave to rest. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and roast the veg for a further 15 mins until tender.
• Remove the veg with a slotted spoon and transfer to the serving plate with the bird. Mix 2 tsp butter and flour in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Place the roasting tin with all the cooking juices, plus any resting juices, on the hob. Whisk the paste and redcurrant jelly into the juices until dissolved, then add the remaining stock and extra seasoning, if you like. Bubble for a few mins until the sauce thickens. Slice and serve the guinea fowl, crisp bacon and the veg with the sauce on the side.

GUINEA FOWL WITH MUSTARD & LEMON ROOTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Wipe the guinea fowl and season all over with salt and pepper, place in a large roasting tray and pop in the oven. Finely grate the lemon zest and scrape into a large bowl. Add the mustard and oil and mix well. Halve the lemon and put it inside the bird.
• Meanwhile, peel the carrots and potatoes, then cut them into thick chunks. Cut the leeks into 3-4 pieces, depending on their length. Add all the veggies to the bowl with the oil and mustard, and mix until well coated.
• When the guinea fowl has been roasting for 30 mins, add the veggies around the bird, sprinkle with a little salt and return to the oven for a further 45 mins.
• Splash the wine around the bird and over the veggies and put the bacon over the bird. Return to the oven for a further 15-20 mins, until the bacon is crisp and the veggies are tender.

ROASTED GUINEA FOWL WITH ROMESCO

Steps:

• Make the brine the day before you want to cook the guinea fowl. Pour 1 litre water into a large saucepan with the beer, salt and chillies. Bring to the boil, then leave to cool. Put the guinea fowl in a roasting tin, pour over the brine and leave to marinate overnight.
• The next day, remove the bird from the brine and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. For the infused oil, put the garlic, oil and paprika in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Put the peppers on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 mins until blistered and slightly charred. Wrap in cling film and leave to cool, then deseed each one and peel off the skins. Reduce oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Dip the rosemary brush in the infused oil, brush all over the bird and season. Roast for 50 mins, basting every 15 mins with the herby oil.
• Meanwhile, put all the romesco ingredients in a food processor with some seasoning and blend to make a pesto-like dressing. The guinea fowl is cooked once the juices run clear. Rest for 10 mins, then serve on a platter with lemon wedges, peppery salad leaves and the romesco.

POT-ROAST GUINEA FOWL WITH LENTILS, SHERRY & BACON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a roomy flameproof casserole dish, heat the oil and butter until foaming. Season the guinea fowl all over. Spend a good 10 mins gently frying it on all sides until browned, then remove to a plate.
• Fry the bacon in the same dish until starting to colour, then add the carrot, onion, celery and bay, and fry for 10 mins until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the lentils, pour over the sherry and chicken stock to just cover, and add the tarragon. Nestle the bird back among the lentils, breast-side up, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 1 hr.
• While the bird is roasting, make the sauce. Bring the cream and lemon juice to the boil and season. Remove from the heat, add the herbs, purée with a hand blender and set aside.
• When the guinea fowl is ready, remove from the dish and give the lentils a good stir. Add the mustard and a drizzle of olive oil to the lentils, then transfer them to a serving plate. Place the guinea fowl on top and serve with the sauce alongside.