Casseroled Guinea Fowl

Guinea Fowl looks a bit like a small chicken but has slightly stronger, gamier taste.  The flesh is darker and drier than that of chicken, so casseroling keeps it moist and succulent. I’ve included a few magic ingredients which you might not think would work – but they do! I don’t add salt but that is a personal preference. As usual, no measurements – just good judgement!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

1 Guinea Fowl

1 mild Spanish onion chopped

1 large carrot thinly sliced

3 sticks of celery (ideally ’stringed’) cut into chunks

4 large cloves of garlic (or try using whole mini-garlics)

6-8 shallots, skinned

1 tangerine, halved (magic ingredient)

Half pack of vacuum-packed shelled chestnuts

6-8 ready to eat prunes

A few dried mushrooms, soaked

A few fresh mushrooms (wild ceps would be delicious)

2 cloves

Half a cinnamon stick (another magic ingredient!)

Fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, sage,rosemary, marjoram, bay leaf

Bouquet garni

Worcester sauce

1 Tablespoon onion gravy mix (magic ingredient 2)

Some reasonably good red wine

Light olive oil

Brown the Guinea fowl

Chicken stock (cube will do)

In a wide, deep frying pan, brown the Guinea fowl in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. While the ‘beast’ is browning, chop the onion, slice the carrot and celery, skin the shallots, halve the tangerine and line up all your ingredients.  Once the Guinea fowl has been browned all over (try not to scrape the skin on the breast) transfer it to a plate.  In the pan that held the fowl, start to brown the chopped onion.When the onion starts to soften, add the carrots and celery, then the mushrooms(dried and fresh).  Let this mixture fry for a bit and soften.  Add the prunes, chestnuts and garlic and fry for a few minutes longer. Add the wet ingredients, about quarter of a pint of wine, quarter of a pint of stock, the sqeezed juice of the tangerine and swill about a bit.  Finally add the herbs, bouquet garni, sprinkling of Worcester sauce, cloves and cinnamon, a few bits of tangerine peel (avoid the pith) and the onion gravy mix.  Mix well.  In a casserole that will comfortably hole the fowl, pour a little of the vegetable and wine mix.  Place the Guinea fowl on top of this and pour the remaining vegetable and wine mix over it.  I usually place a layer of tin foil over the contents and then put the lid on.  Put into a hot oven for about 20 mins, then turn it down a bit and allow to cook for about 3 hours.  As the aroma of the simmering casserole fills your kitchen, you will almost FAINT at the deliciousness of it all.  Remove from the oven, allow the Guineau fowl to settle for a few minutes then carve and serve with the heavenly vegetable gravy.