Featured Recipe from Chef Clinton Drake: Guinea Fowl

-- Hotels, 1/1/2008 11:46:00 AM

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Guinea Fowl
• 200g mixed wild mushrooms
• Thyme
• 50g tomato paste
• 3 fresh tomatoes
• Garlic
• 1 stick celery
• 1 leek
• 2 carrots
• 2 onions
• 200ml brandy
• Butter
• 1 bay leaf
• Black pepper

Method:

Remove the breasts and legs from the bird.

Place breasts in a 10% brine for 5 hours.

Trim of any excess fat from the carcass, drizzle carcass with olive oil and roast in a hot oven until golden brown.

Sauté 1 onion, 1 carrot, ½ a leek in a little oil. Add ½ the tomato paste, add the roasted bones, 1 liter of water and bring to a simmer. Add 2 fresh tomatoes, a generous sprig of thyme, 1 bay leaf and 5 whole black peppercorns.

Simmer stock for 1.5 hours, do not boil. Strain stock through a fine sieve.

In the meantime:

Debone the leg, removing all bones from both leg and thigh, being careful not to puncture or separate the meat.

Sauté the wild mushrooms in a little butter, adding garlic, chopped onion and fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Chop this mixture finely.

Spread the mushroom mixture into the guinea fowl leg. Now roll up the leg tightly and vacuum seal.

Poach the vacuum bag in water at 70’C and cook for 5 hours.

Once these steps are completed, start finishing the sauce.

Sauté 1 onion, carrot, leek and celery in a little oil until they start to color.

Add the remaining tomato paste and sauté until it starts to color.

Add the brandy and flambé, reduce the brandy until no liquid remains.

Add the stock and reduce rapidly until the sauce starts to gain consistency. (About 250ml of liquid)

Stir in a few knobs of butter until desired consistency is achieved. Strain through a fine sieve. Add a good sprig of thyme and wrap the sauce pan in plastic wrap to help the thyme infuse.

Now cook the guinea fowl breast in a little olive oil and butter, taking care to season the breast well with chopped thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.

Brown the skin side first, then turn over and “seal” the underside. Finish in an oven until just undercooked.

Now pan fry the cooked and rolled leg until golden brown on all sides.

To serve: Flood the plate with the sauce.
Slice the legs and arrange in the middle.
Slice the breast into 3 parts and fan on top of the leg.

Display vegetables around the guinea fowl (we usually use asparagus, green beans and young carrots.)