Guinea fowl recipes
Originally a game bird, but now domesticated and available all year round, guinea fowl has a flavour somewhere between chicken and pheasant. A young bird has tasty flesh; older birds are good to casserole as this helps keep the flesh moist – try casseroling in red wine with chestnuts. One bird will serve two people.
Buyer's guide
Ready-to-cook guinea fowl – intensively reared or free-range – can be bought from larger supermarkets.
Preparation
You can substitute guinea fowl for just about any chicken recipe. The flavour is similar to that of chicken but it has a hint of gaminess, which means it goes well with flavours such as chestnuts, apples, herbs, bacon, cider or brandy. When roasting, the bird needs to be basted at intervals with butter, or covered with pork or bacon fat to keep the meat tender and moist. Casseroling is a perfect cooking method for guinea fowl because slow cooking the meat in liquid ensures it is sweet and tender with a flavoursome sauce.
