Guinea Fowl with Mushrooms and Red Wine

Yesterday I visited my very first farmers' market. There is one but 20 minutes away every two weeks but I had never got around to going before now. There is something so quaint, traditional and quintessentially British about a farmer's market and I am a great advocate for anything that supports local farmers and their produce. So much more inspiring than the supermarket aisles, I came across rough and dirty vegetables, all healthy specimens, sturdy oatmeal loaves, fresh scallops, homemade honey and preserves, to name but a few, as well as Guinea Fowl. 

I have never cooked with Guinea Fowl before, although I do not know why as it is, when in the kitchen, just a small, gamier-flavoured chicken. So, I was convinced to purchase such a healthy little bird from a highly helpful and knowledgeable farmer. And boy, am I glad that I had my arm twisted?!

I searched through my recipes books for a recipe, because I wanted to make the most of this unusual (for me, anyway) item. However, I had to resort to the Internet, and came across this extremely successful recipe by Waitrose. The meat is much darker and richer than chicken and the flavour very gamey and earthy, well suited to a red wine-based, lightly spiced, fruity sauce and lots of seasonable root vegetables.

P.s. Apologies for this mound of food - presentation of savoury dishes has never been my strong point...

Guinea Fowl (serves 3)

adapted from Waitrose

1 guinea fowl (jointed into 4 pieces)

a small knob of butter

1/2 tbsp olive oil

4 shallots (or, I used 1 red onion)

5 white mushrooms, quartered

1 heaped tbsp fresh thyme (leaves only)

150ml red wine

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch ground cloves

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

juice of 1 clementine

200ml boiling vegetable stock (or use stock from the carcass)

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C/Gas 3. 

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, add the onion a two of the guinea fowl portions. Turn the pieces, heat up high, until golden brown and sealed. Transfer to a casserole dish and take the onions with them once softened and lightly browned. Brown the remaining guinea fowl pieces and add to the casserole pot.

Cook the mushrooms and thyme in the pan for a few minutes and add to the casserole.

Bring the wine and sugar to a simmer in the pan, stirring to collect the leftover flavours. Pour over the guinea fowl and squeeze over the clementine juice. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and cloves.

Combine the cornflour with the soy sauce and add to the stock. Add to the casserole with the redcurrant jelly, then cover with a lid.

Cook in the oven for roughly 2 hours, checking, basting and turning often.

Maple Granola

It seems like forever since I last updated my blog and I am quite certain of the cause of that - the fullness of our larder at the moment! There is still so much left over food from Christmas that I have not been baking or cooking for weeks. It is a bittersweet situation because enjoying Christmas leftovers is one of my favourite parts of the holiday season, but I have really been missing the kitchen as I cannot justify making more food that is probably going to see the dark abyss of the rubbish bin before it has been fully appreciated. However, things are beginning to wind down a little and I have embraced the kitchen once again, this time to cater for my favourite meal of the day - breakfast =D

Ahh breakfast, how I anticipate your wholesome bounty. Cereal, always. Fruit, always. Porridge, when the weather outside is frightful. Honey, with most things. Eggs and soldiers, when I have the whole day to do with as I please. Pancakes, to go with silk pyjamas and a birthday party. Tea, of course. 

Granola. Glorified cereal. With yoghurt and stewed fruit. Glorified breakfast.

Oh, and did I mention this crunchy, fruity, chewy, treacly, toasted, rugged, healthy, and downright scrumptious recipe came from the latest issue of Delicious. ? This all bodes rather well...

Maple Granola (makes enough for 16 bowlfuls)

2 tbsp light olive oil

150ml apple juice ( I used freshly squeezed orange plus the zest)

100ml maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract (the lid on mine got stuck so I used almond extract!)

350g rolled oats

100g oat bran (I missed this out as I have none...and used Rude Health multigrain flakes instead!)

50g each sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

25g each golden linseed and hulled hemp seeds (again, I had to compromise by using more of the above and some nuts)

200g dried cranberries or raisins (or a mixture of that and other dried fruit of your choice)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C/fan140 degrees C/gas 3 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.

Combine the oil, juice (and zest if using), syrup and vanilla in a small pan, add a pinch of salt, and heat gently, stirring occasionally.

Mix the oats, oat bran and seeds together in a large bowl and pour over the liquid mixture. Stir quickly and thoroughly to coat evenly. 

Spread the granola over the trays and distribute well.

Bake for 30 minutes (but keep a close eye on it, stirring every 10 minutes or so, or else it will suddenly start to burn). 

When it is lightly golden, stir in the dried fruit and bake for 15 minutes longer (I found that mine needed a little less time, but I made half the quantity).

Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

Serve with yoghurt, milk, fresh fruit or a fruit compote (for example, I used pears, apples, spices, dried figs and prunes).

Orange Mincemeat Cake

I just cleaned out the fridge. Not cleaned out its contents by checking expiry dates, but actually cleaned the entire vessel. It was completely gutted, then refilled, and now it is sparkling and fresh. It was stomach-turning, to be honest. We had to clean out jars of condiments that were shockingly out of date and it's not like bog-standard chutney smells good at the best of times. A prune yoghurt fell on the floor and exploded. Yoghurt on the skirting board. But it has all been cleaned up now and my head is happy. Organised and diligent start to the new year.

Anyway, I made a cake for Hogmanay. It is a recipe out of one of the many beautiful recipe books I received at Christmas : ) 

I revisited crystallised orange slices, after I was introduced to them at the time of my festive cupcakes. 

It was a very pretty cake, I have to say, although I was slightly worried about how it would taste as I was taking it to a party and I had never tried this recipe before. Thankfully, it was received with delight. At least, people made yummy noises. Whether they were merely a reflection of good breeding or whether they were genuine, I do not know! The sponge was surprisingly fluffy and light for a recipe that does not use any raising agents other than self-raising flour and a fairly standard quantity of egg. 

Orange Mincemeat Cake (serves 8)

adapted from the recipe for  Rum and raisin cake in Cakes & Slices - Murdoch Books

200g mincemeat

1 small apple, grated

1 tbsp orange juice

185g (6 1/2 oz) self-raising flour

1 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground ginger

140g (5oz) butter

95g (3 1/4 oz) soft brown sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F/Gas 4). Lightly grease a deep 8 inch round cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.

Sift the flour and spices into a large bowl, mix and make a well.

Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small pan over a low heat. Stir gently until all the sugar and butter has dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Add the melted mixture and the eggs to the flour alternately, folding them in gently until just combined - do not over beat. Stir in the grated apple, mincemeat, and orange juice.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.

Bake for 40 minutes or so, until a skewer comes out clean. 

Turn out onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.

To decorate:

I used a simple glacé icing made with orange juice. Spoon it over the top of the cooled cake and let it drizzle down the sides. 

Then, top with slices of crystallised orange (Put 2 tbsp water in a pan with 4 tbsp granulated sugar and bring to the boil. Place the orange slices in the pan and continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pith begins to turn transparent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until they can be safely handled. Toss them in a little lemon juice and then lightly toss them in granulated sugar. Dust off any excess, so that you can still see the attractive orange cross-section).