Recipe: Roasted Guinea Fowl Alsatian Style

Name: Roasted Guinea Fowl Alsatian Style
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 large farm-raised guinea fowls, cleaned, trussed and seasoned; For the sauerkraut4.4 lb (2 kg) of fresh raw sauerkraut (if possible); 2 onions, sliced; 7 oz (200 g) of duck or goose fat; In a small cheesecloth bag2 cloves; 1 bay leaf; 1 sprig of thyme; 6 juniper berries; 12 peppercorns; 1/2.1 qt (2 liter) of Alsatian white wine and 1.1 qt (1 liter) of water; 17.75 oz (500 g) of artisanal smoked breast; 16 mini artisanal black blood sausages; 16 mini artisanal white blood sausages; 16 mini artisanal cocktail frankfurters

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.3/5 (7 reviews)

Prep 15 min

Cook 90 min

Total 1h45

Servings 8 serv.

Roasted guinea fowl is poultry with real flavor, firm and slightly gamey meat. Here we bury it in Alsatian sauerkraut, with its spices and blood sausages. Two hours of slow cooking, and everything comes together beautifully.

Ingredients for 8 servings

Adjust for

servings

2 large farm-raised guinea fowls, cleaned, trussed and seasoned

For the sauerkraut

4.4 lb (2 kg) of fresh raw sauerkraut (if possible)
2 onions, sliced
7 oz (200 g) of duck or goose fat

In a small cheesecloth bag

2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
6 juniper berries
12 peppercorns
1/2.1 qt (2 liter) of Alsatian white wine and 1.1 qt (1 liter) of water
17.75 oz (500 g) of artisanal smoked breast
16 mini artisanal black blood sausages
16 mini artisanal white blood sausages
16 mini artisanal cocktail frankfurters

Step-by-step directions

1 Preheat your oven to 355°F (180 °C) (350 °F).

2 In a very large ovenproof pot, melt a little goose fat (0.9 oz (25 g)), then brown your guinea fowls on both sides, then place them in the oven for 15 minutes to partially cook them.

3 Meanwhile, rinse the sauerkraut several times with water, then drain it thoroughly by pressing it firmly.

4 Remove the guinea fowls, set them aside on a platter and put your pot back on the heat. Add the remaining 6.25 oz (175 g) of goose fat and gently cook the sliced onions without coloring them for five minutes. Add the white wine and water, then the smoked pork breast, the small bag of spices, the sauerkraut and salt lightly. Cover with parchment paper or a lid and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.

5 After one hour of cooking, place the 2 partially cooked guinea fowls in the center of the sauerkraut, cover with sauerkraut and let cook for 30 to 40 minutes.

6 10 minutes before the end of cooking, place your mini blood sausages and frankfurters in a pot of water and heat them gently without boiling, then remove from heat.

7 Remove the guinea fowls and cut the thighs in half, separate the wings, drumsticks and breasts into thin strips.

8 Cut your smoked breast into eight equal slices.

9 On a large long platter, mound the sauerkraut, arranging your pieces of guinea fowl on the slopes, the breast strips on top, then the smoked breast slices arranged attractively, and all around the platter, alternating colors, the small black and white blood sausages and the small frankfurters.

*You can replace the guinea fowls with plump hens, female pheasants, nice partridges or even slightly firm wild pigeons.

A chef's advice

You can also, if you're short on time, cook your guinea fowls 10 minutes longer and then add already-cooked sauerkraut, moisten with a little broth and finish this way for 20 minutes in the oven. In Alsace, some villages add caraway seeds to the sauerkraut, others add fennel. Around Colmar, they never add the blood sausages at the same time as the guinea fowl, instead they add them at the end so they stay crispy and don't fall apart in the juices. It's a small detail, but it makes all the difference in how the final dish comes out.