Pot Roasted Guinea Fowl stuffed with

Rice, Almonds and Golden Sultanas

Serves 4 - 6

This is inspired by a Guest Recipe from Honey & Co., but no longer the same as the original.

This is a dish that needs to be started a day or two in advance of cooking.

When cooking birds, because they sometimes have little or no flavour, it is good to soak them overnight in

a brining liquid which helps to tenderise the meat and make it more juicy.

Ingredients

l large Guinea Fowl

Brining Liquid (start a day in advance)

A few sprigs of thyme

3-4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon allspice

2 tablespoons sea salt

1.5 litres water

Rice Filling

150g basmati rice

50g dried Golden Sultanas

50g flaked almonds

2 teaspoons dried mint

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 sprigs of sage, leaves picked and chopped (about six leaves) or use dried

For the cooking

6 cloves of garlic

12 small carrots or a large ones halved lengthways

2 Spanish Onions, peeled, halved and sliced

a few sprigs of thyme (or dried)

3-4 bay leaves

1 kilo baby salad potatoes

2 glasses white wine

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....

1. The day before you plan to cook the fowl, clean the bird, removing any feathers and offal. (If you like the flavour of offal, you can chop up the heart and liver and add them to the rice filling.)
   
   
2. Mix all the brine ingredients together and pour over the bird into a bowl that can contain it snugly or you could use a large jam saucepan..
   
   
3. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight.   Turn the bird a few times to make sure it brines all over.
   
   
4. To make the rice filling, simply mix all the ingredients together.
   
   
5. Heat the oven to 180C Fan.
   
   
6. Lift the bird out of the brine and pat it dry, making sure all the water has been drained from the cavity and then stuff with the rice filling, really pushing it down using a desert spoon.
7. Take a large braising pot and put some olive oil in the bottom, then layer up with the sliced onions, carrots, bay leaves, herbs and small potatoes.   Any left over rice mixture can be added to these vegetables.
   
8. Place the bird nestled in the vegetables, add all the wine, sprinkle the bird with seasoning, place the thyme onto the top of the bird, cover and put in the oven for an hour.
   
   
9. Reduce the heat to 160C.
   
   
10. Remove the post from the oven and baste the bird really well, especially in the area the rice is in.
    
    
11. Flip it on to the other side, cover again and cook for another hour.
    
    
12. Remove from the oven and baste for the last time.
    
    
13. Keeping the lid off, place the bird with the breast side up and finish in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin.
    
    
14. Remove from the oven.   Use a large spoon to scoop all the rice into the vegetables in the base of the pot.
    
    
15. Lift the bird on to a chopping board.
    
    
16. Mix the rice and vegetables together, breaking up the carrots into smaller pieces.
    
    
17. Cover and set aside for five minutes while you carve the bird.
    
    
18. Place the carved pieces on top of the rice, then serve with your choice of greens and perhaps stuffed baked potatoes.