If you feel like having white meat but are bored with chicken, try guinea fowl instead. Its meat deceptively looks like chicken, is priced like chicken, but has a nice, subtle, gamey taste chicken lacks. This ultra simple recipe uses a grandmother trick to keep the guinea fowl moist and the simple addition of figs, which come out beautifully crisp and roasted and mix so well with the meat, will make this family roast a real stand out star.
Roast guinea fowl with roasted dried figs and spinach pasta
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Recipe by: Anne-Laure at Tasty Diaries Busy:15 min, Total prep time: 1h15 Serves: 4 |
In a microwave friendly bowl, cover the figs with water and stir in the all spice. Microwave for 6 to 7 minutes to rehydrate the figs.
Season the inside cavity of the guinea fowl with salt and pepper, brush the skin with a bit of oil and season it with salt and pepper. Butter a slice of bread generously and place it at the center of an oiled roasting tin. Place the guinea fowl laying on one side on top of the bread and dispose the figs around. Add 2 tablespoons of water in the tin and roast for one hour, turning the bird over halfway through and basting it at regular intervals.
When ready, transfer the meat onto a chopping board and wait for 10 minutes before carving it. Remove the bread from the roasting tin, add a bit of water to the meat juices and a dash of balsamic vinegar and reduce on medium heat for a few minutes.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, cook the pasta in water with a dash of olive oil. Warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non stick frying pan and add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute (make sure the garlic doesn't brown otherwise it will become bitter) and add the spinach leaves. Sauté for a couple of minutes, until the leaves are just wilted. Drain the juices, add the pasta to the pan and another tablespoon of olive oil, mix well and cook for another minute.
Serve the guinea fowl with the roasted figs and the pasta, with the sauce on the side.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.
In a microwave friendly bowl, cover the figs with water and stir in the all spice. Microwave for 6 to 7 minutes to rehydrate the figs.
Season the inside cavity of the guinea fowl with salt and pepper, brush the skin with a bit of oil and season it with salt and pepper. Butter a slice of bread generously and place it at the center of an oiled roasting tin. Place the guinea fowl laying on one side on top of the bread and dispose the figs around. Add 2 tablespoons of water in the tin and roast for one hour, turning the bird over halfway through and basting it at regular intervals.
When ready, transfer the meat onto a chopping board and wait for 10 minutes before carving it. Remove the bread from the roasting tin, add a bit of water to the meat juices and a dash of balsamic vinegar and reduce on medium heat for a few minutes.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, cook the pasta in water with a dash of olive oil. Warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non stick frying pan and add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute (make sure the garlic doesn’t brown otherwise it will become bitter) and add the spinach leaves. Sauté for a couple of minutes, until the leaves are just wilted. Drain the juices, add the pasta to the pan and another tablespoon of olive oil, mix well and cook for another minute.
Serve the guinea fowl with the roasted figs and the pasta, with the sauce on the side.
The buttered slice of bread is an effective grandmother trick to prevent the guinea fowl, which has a slightly drier meat than chicken, from drying when roasting.
The spinach reduce greatly when cooked so don't be afraid by the quantity and make sure you use a large pan.
The spinach reduce greatly when cooked so don't be afraid by the quantity and make sure you use a large pan.
Ingredients
8 large dried figs
1 teaspoon all spice (or mixed spice)
1 1.3kg guinea fowl
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 slice of bread
A knob of butter
Balsamic vinegar
Spinach pasta
Fresh pasta
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250 g baby spinach leaves, washed, and spinned dry
Salt and pepper
8 large dried figs
1 teaspoon all spice (or mixed spice)
1 1.3kg guinea fowl
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 slice of bread
A knob of butter
Balsamic vinegar
Spinach pasta
Fresh pasta
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250 g baby spinach leaves, washed, and spinned dry
Salt and pepper
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