Stuffed Guinea Hen Recipes

STUFFED GUINEA HEN

Steps:

• To prepare the hens: Remove the dark meat from the legs and chop it very finely. Lay the main part of each bird flat, skin-side down. There will be a rough rectangle of skin with the two breasts and their smaller fillets attached at the top. Remove one small fillet and lay it between the breasts to fill the indentation. Use the other to fill any other gaps. Lay a piece of plastic over top, and pound the whole flat. Remove the plastic. Push the meat around a little, if you need to, to achieve and even square of white meat, roughly centered on the skin. Season the hens with salt, and pepper. To make the stuffing: Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter, and saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Remove the onion mixture to a bowl. Heat the remaining butter in the pan, and toast the bread crumbs. Add them to the onions. Stir in the figs, Cognac, and thyme. Season the mixture with salt, and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Lay the prosciutto slices, slightly overlapping, on a piece of foil. Lay 1 bird on top, and season with salt, and pepper. Spread over the half the stuffing, and then roll into a log. Wrap in foil, twisting the ends to make a tight cylinder. Repeat with the other hen. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and return to the oven 10 minutes longer. Remove. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing to serve with Watercress Salad.
• In a medium bowl, toss the greens with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a serving platter and scatter over the almonds and grapes. Serve.

STUFFED GUINEA HEN, SERVED ON A BED OF PASTINA WITH MORELS AND FRESH PEAS

Steps:

• Prepare the pastina with morels and fresh peas. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots and garlic, and saute until soft and glossy. Do not brown.
• Add the morels and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pastina and stir until well coated with the oil. Deglaze with the hot stock and continue to cook and stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed and pastina is al dente. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf.
• Add the peas, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warm serving platter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare the Sauteed Stuffed Guinea Hen. Halve and bone the guinea hen, leaving the first wing joint attached to the breast.
• In a small bowl, combine together the goat cheese and truffles.
• Gently slip your fingers under the skin of each chicken breast and thigh, lifting it slightly. Divide the cheese-truffle mixture and stuff under the skin, patting down to distribute evenly.
• Season with salt and pepper both sides. In a large skillet, add the olive oil. Over high heat, saute the chicken halves, skin side down, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side up and continue to cook another 2 minutes. Add the thyme and tarragon. Transfer to the oven and bake until done, about 6 to 8 minutes. Arrange the chicken on top of the platter of Pastina with Morels and Fresh Peas.
• Deglaze the saute pan with the vermouth. Add the stock and reduce just until sauce thickens. Whisk in the butter, season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over sauteed guinea hen.

ROAST GUINEA HEN

Steps:

• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the guinea hen in a large, deep bowl, pour the marinade over and inside the hen, cover the bowl, and marinate, refrigerated, overnight, turning occasionally to ensure that all parts of the bird are covered.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the hen from the marinade. Reserve the marinade. Put the hen in a roasting pan and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the hen breastside down in the pan and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the hen onto its back, decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and roast for 1 hour. While the hen is roasting, place the reserved marinade in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce to approximately 1/4 cup. When the hen has 15 minutes left to cook, pour the reduced marinade over the hen and return it to the oven for its final 15 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven, and let the hen rest for 10 or 15 minutes before dividing into serving portions.

ROASTED GUINEA HEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the guinea hen in an iron skillet large enough for it to fit or in a heavy roasting dish. (Enameled cast iron is best.) Using your hands, rub 2 teaspoons of the olive oil all over the bird, inside and out. Season again all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Scatter the garlic cloves around the pan.
• Place in the oven and roast 15 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and roast, basting every 10 minutes with pan drippings, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 degrees; this should take 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove the hen from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Drain excess fat (leaving some!) from the pan and place over medium-high heat. Pour in the chicken broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the pan drippings and bring to a boil. Reduce until the sauce is syrupy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut the hen into 6 pieces and pour the juices from the cutting board back into the sauce. Serve on a platter and pass the sauce with a big spoon.

ROAST GUINEA HEN STUFFED WITH CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Wipe the guinea hen inside and out with paper towels. Hang in a cool place for two days or store, unwrapped, on a rack in the refrigerator.
• With a sharp knife make a slit in each chestnut. Simmer the chestnuts for 10 minutes in water. Remove, and, wearing rubber gloves, slip off their outer and inner skins while the chestnuts are still hot.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Soften the bread crumbs in the milk. Melt the butter in the skillet and cook the celery, onion and garlic until soft. Add the thyme.
• Coarsely chop the chestnuts and add them to the skillet with the bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the cavity of the guinea hen with the mixture. Place the hen on the rack in the roasting pan and cover the breast with the pancetta. Roast for about 20 minutes or until cooked. Remove the bacon fat for the last 10 minutes to brown the breast.