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.