Guinea Fowl
Golden-browned guinea fowl breasts are served atop an apple salad and accented with pan juices which have been incorporated into a sauce. The preparation would work equally well with chicken breasts. The breasts are cooked on a bed of onions and herbs, which add their own subtle flavors to the meat and the resulting sauce. The vegetable stock powder Chef Ferrari uses sounds esoteric; in fact, many ready-made combinations of powdered seasoned vegetable combinations exist. Look for one that contains onion, garlic, celery, and parsley, at least, but which doesn’t emphasize one over the other. www.penzeys.com has a Fox Point Seasoning which is a good place to start.
Ingredients
- Guinea Fowl
- White Onion - 1, sliced
- Unsalted Butter - 4 ounces (1 stick)
- Rosemary - 3 – 4 sprigs, fresh
- Thyme - 2 sprigs
- Dill - 1 sprig
- Guinea Fowl Breasts - 2, with bones
- Salt
- Vegetable Stock Powder - 4 tablespoons,
- Red Wine Vinegar - 3/4 cup
- Dolcetto d’Alba - 2 cups (alt. other sweet red wine)
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Apple Salad
- Green Apples - 1
- Sultana Golden Raisins - 3/4 cup
- Celery - 2 stalks, chopped
- Almonds - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garnishes (optional)
- Carrot - 1, peeled
- Parsley - 4, sprigs
- Canola oil for deep-frying
- Sauce
- Strained cooking juices from guinea fowl, above
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 1/3 cup
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- Vegetable Stock Powder - 1 teaspoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Currants - 40, red or black
Instructions
To prepare the guinea fowl: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put the onions and butter in a large ovenproof saute pan or skillet and add the rosemary, thyme, and dill. Place over medium heat and cook until the onions soften and just begin to brown.
Meanwhile, break the breast bones at the center to allow the breasts to open out flat, but do not remove the bones. Remove the last two joints of the wings. Sprinkle the breasts with salt and some of the vegetable stock powder. Place the guinea fowl breasts on the onions, skin-side down. Season liberally with salt. Let the breasts cook until they are lightly browned, turning them occasionally. Add the vinegar to the pan and bring to a boil. Sprinkle a little more vegetable stock powder over the onions in the pan. Cook until the vinegar has evaporated, turning the breasts occasionally and pressing them into the onions. Add the red wine and stir up the browned bits from the bottom. Place in the oven and bake 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, or to taste. Remove from the oven. Take the breasts from the pan and set aside to rest. Strain the juices; set aside.
To prepare the salad: Peel and core the apple. Cut in fine julienne on a mandoline or by hand. Put the apple julienne in a non-aluminum bowl and add the remaining ingredients; season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the garnishes: Peel the carrot in paper-thin julienne on a Japanese mandoline. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible; blot with paper towels to dry further. Wash the parsley and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil to 360 F in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan. Drop the julienne into the hot oil and fry for 15 seconds, until just crisp; remove with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and spread on paper towels to drain. Do not crowd the fryer; fry in batches if necessary. When all the carrot has been fried, drop in the parsley and fry for 5 seconds; remove and set aside on paper towels.
To prepare the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with a stick blender.
To serve: Spread a thin layer of apple salad over the bottom of each serving plate. Cut the breasts in two; remove the bones, leaving the wing bones attached. Slice each breast into medallions. Sliding a knife underneath to keep the pieces together, lift a breast half and place on the salad on one of the prepared plates. Repeat with all breasts. Space 10 currants around each plate. Spoon sauce over the guinea fowl breasts. Garnish with carrot julienne and a fried parsley sprig.
