Name: Grilled Guinea Fowl Breast with a Sage & Bacon Farce, Crépinettes & Game Sauce
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: salt; ¾ cup wild rice; 200 g fat belly bacon, cut into 3-4cm dice; 3 x 1 kg guinea fowl; 200 g pork caul, soaked in salted water for 30 minutes; 1 small clove garlic, crushed to a paste; 1 quantity Quick Game Sauce, made using the guinea fowl carcasses and drumsticks in place of the quails and chicken necks; 200 g pork belly, minced; ½ stalk celery, trimmed and cut into 5mm dice; 2½ cups water; freshly ground black pepper; 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice; 1 small clove garlic, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt; finely grated zest of 1 lemon; ½ teaspoon quatre-épices; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 30 g butter; olive oil; a pinch of salt; 4-6 fresh sage leaves, torn into tiny pieces; 1 tablespoon cognac; 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

French

By Damien Pignolet

Published 2005

About

This was a popular dish at Claude’s for many years. The fatty bacon provides additional flavour and protects the lean guinea fowl flesh. I slightly undercook the breasts and after a short rest they are perfection. The garnish of wild rice and spinach purée supports the gamey flavour of the meat, while a game sauce adds depth to the palate. The thigh meat is used to make crépinettes, and the leg and carcass find their way into the sauce.