Roast Guinea Fowl with Honey Glazed Parsnips

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Guinea Fowl make an interesting change from chicken, slightly gamier, but bursting with flavour. Marks and Spencer are now selling some excellent free range birds.
Served with the honey glazed parsnips and delicious gravy, they make a great Sunday lunch or dinner party meal. One bird serves 2-3 people - for more people increase the quantities in the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients

  • 1 guinea fowl (about 1kg each)
  • 6 rashers dry cured streaky bacon
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • peeled zest of half a lemon (no white skin)
  • 1 garlic cloves
  • 25g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 echalion shallots, peeled and sliced lengthways
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 400ml fresh chicken stock, hot

For the gravy

  • 25g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 echalion shallots, peeled and sliced lengthways
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 400ml fresh chicken stock, hot

Honey Glazed Parsnips

  • 450g  medium sized parsnips, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan190°C.
  2. Blanch the parsnips in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Put the parsnips in roasting tray. Mix together the honey, mustard and oil  and pour over the parsnips making sure they are all coated with the mixture. Set aside.
  4. Wash the guinea fowl and dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Halve the garlic clove and rub over the outside of the bird.  Then put the garlic, rosemary sprig and lemon zest peel in the cavity of the bird. Season inside and out. Lay the rashers of bacon across the breast. Guinea fowl can dry out very easily if they are overcooked. The bacon helps keep the breasts moist.
  5. Place the guinea fowl in a roasting tin and loosely cover the tin with foil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes
  6. Then remove the foil and roast for a further 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
  7. At the same time put the parsnips in the oven, they should take 25-30 minutes and should be ready at the same time as the bird.
  8. After about an hour in total, the birds and parsnips should both be ready. The parsnips should be golden, and to check if the guinea fowl is  ready, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thighs - the juices should run clear. If not  a little more cooking is required.
  9. When ready transfer to a warm platter, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
  10.  While the guinea fowl is cooking make the gravy. Heat half the butter and the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until lightly golden.
  11. Remove the lid and add the balsamic glaze and cook for a further 5 minutes or until tender and slightly caramelised.
  12. Stir in the rosemary and cook briefly, then add  the hot stock. Simmer vigorously until reduced by a third. Season and keep warm.
  13. Transfer the bird to a chopping board, take the bacon off the breast, and remove the legs. Cut through the joint to separate into thighs and drumsticks, then remove the breasts in one piece and cut each into three pieces on the diagonal.
  14. Serve on a warm platter with the parsnips and bacon, with steamed vegetables and the gravy on the side.

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