The Christmas meal should be a special occasion and is a great opportunity to lavish your guests with food and wine that would be reserved for special occasions. Goose is a very traditional British festive dinner meal although turkey has surpassed it in popularity. I have used guinea fowl and have enriched it with a creamy sweet pear flavoured Madeira reduction. This recipe serves four people. Merry Christmas!
For the Guinea fowl
2 whole, prepared guinea fowl cut into pieces, skin intact retaining carcass bones
1 .5 oz (50 gms) unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 turnips, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 cup (250 mls) chopped mushrooms
10 black peppercorns
1 cup (250 mls) Madeira
1 cup (250 mls) pear juice
Sauté the carcass bones and the other guinea fowl pieces in the butter. As they brown, add the vegetables and peppercorns and stir until they begin to caramelise. Deglaze the pan with the Madeira and reduce the liquid by half. Add the pear juice and close the lid. Cook on low for about an hour.
Garnishes
For the garnishes I have used par boiled and seasoned roast potatoes, Roasted onions and turnip and sautéed pear slices
