Guinea Fowl

The guinea fowl is part of a West African family of insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resembling partridges, but with featherless heads and white-spotted grey plumage. They taste like a slightly gamey chicken and are suitable to use in recipes that call for pheasant, partridge or young roasting chicken. Although they are at their best in early summer, they are usually available to buy all year round.

Both the wild and the slightly plumper semi-domesticated breeds tend to be dry and so care needs to be taken to keep their flesh moist during the cooking process. This can be done by barding and larding with bacon fat, placing a stuffing of butter or fromage blanc under the skin or simply by regular basting with seasoned butter.

Whole young birds (guinea poults) are best served stuffed and roasted with giblet gravy and bread sauce, or spit-roasted and served with a well-seasoned 'jus'. Guinea fowl breast is excellent when sautéed in butter and served with a sauce of chestnuts, garlic and sweet wine. Older birds may be casseroled with stock and cream or braised in cider.