Roast Guinea Fowl with Chestnut, Sage and Lemon Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 small guinea fowl (approximately 1kg)
• 8 rashers of streaky bacon
• 1 onion, unpeeled and thickly sliced
• 350ml strong chicken stock
• 50g soft butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Freshly ground salt and pepper, to season
• Sugar, to season (if needed)
• Sage and Lemon Stuffing:
• 2 lemons, zest only
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 medium egg, beaten with a fork
• 100g chestnut, cooked and quartered
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 50g walnuts, finely chopped
• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp sage, chopped
• ¼ tsp ground mace (i.e. spice derived from nutmeg)
• Freshly ground salt and pepper, to season
• To Serve:
• Roast potatoes and vegetables
• Cranberry sauce, if desired

Method

1. Up to 24 hours before cooking the bird: Start by making the stuffing.
2. Pop a pan on the hob over a medium heat. Melt the butter, then add the onion and cook gently until it softens. Once the onion is soft, stir in the sage and cook for a further two minutes. Now, pour the warmed onion mixture into a bowl and add the lemon zest, egg, chestnuts, breadcrumbs, walnuts, sage and mace; mix together thoroughly and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Next, prepare the guinea fowl.
4. Wash the inside cavity and wipe as necessary to make sure it is clean and empty. Mix the butter with some freshly ground salt and pepper, then spread thoroughly over the bird (i.e. push and spread some under the skin which lies over the breasts, rub the rest over the legs). Next take the rashers of bacon and lay them evenly over the breasts of the bird, smoothing them over with your hand, and seasoning with some more pepper. Finally, push the stuffing into the cavity of the bird until it is full; any extra stuffing can be rolled into balls and popped into a container, to be baked alongside the guinea fowl for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.
5. Cover and chill the guinea fowl and extra stuffing for up to 24 hours.
6. On the day of cooking:
7. Take the guinea fowl out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to pop it into the oven.
8. Use this time to prepare the roast potatoes and any other vegetables that you desire to eat alongside the guinea fowl.
9. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / 400 F / Gas Mark 6.
10. Pop the bird into a roasting tin (a snug fit is best) with the sliced onion underneath. Roast for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees C / 356 F / Gas Mark 4 and roast for a further 35 to 45 minutes (longer if the bird is larger than 1kg), until thoroughly cooked. [NB: The roast potatoes will most likely need to go into the oven at this point too.] Once the guinea fowl is thoroughly cooked, the juices should run clear (with no blood) when you pierce the inside of the thigh with a skewer.
11. Also, please remember to pop any extra stuffing balls into the oven for the last 20 minutes of cooking time; and to cook any other vegetables that you have prepared at the appropriate time. [NB: Remember you will be making the gravy whilst the guinea fowl is resting.]
12. Once cooked, lift the guinea fowl off the onions and place it onto a warm serving plate. Cover the bird loosely with foil and pop a towel over the top of it to keep it warm whilst it rests.
13. Now it is time to make the gravy.
14. Pour the juices from the roasting tray into a jug and allow them to settle, then take 1 tbsp of fat from the top and pop it into a pan along with the onions from the roasting tray. Remove the rest of the fat and discard, so that only the meat juices remain in the jug.
15. Pop the pan onto the hob over a low heat and stir in the flour until it forms a paste by combining with the fat. Gradually add in the chicken stock, plus the remaining meat juices from the measuring jug, and simmer gently until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and pinches of sugar (if needed). Strain the gravy into a gravy jug and discard the onions.
16. Serve everything on warm plates, spooning out the stuffing as you carve the guinea fowl, along with some cranberry sauce (if desired).