Guinee’ Volaile au Moutarde
The Iron Farmer Hyrum also acts as Townsends game keeper. Guinea Fowl is a game bird which lives on the estate that has a rich taste somewhere between Pheasant and Chicken
Guinea Fowl:
2 free ranged Guinea Fowl
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves & stems separated
5 sprigs of fresh tarragon, leaves & stems separated
5 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves & stems separated
4 tbsp olive oil
6 medium shallots
½ c homemade free ranged chicken stock
½ c butter
2 ½ tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt
Potatoes:
2 lbs of small boiling potatoes
8 garlic cloves smashed and green removed if present
1 bay leaf
Salt
Directions:
Preheat oven and roasting pan to 425 deg.
In a large pot fill with salted water bring to a boil. Add garlic and simmer 5 minutes. Remove garlic and set aside. Add potatoes and bay leaf cover and cook potatoes for 10 minutes, they will not be done. Cool, peel and set aside.
Melt 1 tbsp butter and set aside. Mix together mustard, chives and remaining butter. Remove 1 tbsp of mustard mixture for sauce, set aside.
Rinse out guinea fowls removing any excess fat or entrails, pat dry. Running fingers/hand under skin of breasts and tops of legs loosen skin, being careful not to tear the skin. Smear mustard mixture under skin on top of breast meat and leg meat. Massaging top of skin to push mustard/butter mixture in place. Season bird with salt and pepper. Divide the herb stems between each cavity. Truss up each bird or tie legs together with butcher’s string.
Brush melted butter over each bird.
Remove hot roasting pan from oven and pour in the olive oil, swirling and tilting pan to evenly coat. Place in birds, breast side up and scatter potatoes and shallots evenly round. Roast the birds basting every 10 minutes with brush, turning potatoes over every 30 minutes.
Scatter reserved garlic and thyme leaves around potatoes and continue basting and cooking for another 30 minutes for potatoes and 40 minutes for birds or until temperature in thigh reaches 170 deg. Remove from pan, discard string and transfer to a platter keeping birds and potatoes warm.
Sauce:
Deglaze pan by adding in stock to hot pan juices and cooking on medium high heat and scrapping up all the bits stuck to the pan. Reduce to ½ c and strain through a sieve, stir in mustard butter and adjust seasoning if needed.
Chop parsley and tarragon and scatter over guinea fowl and potatoes and serve with sauce along side.