Guinea Fowl Stuffed with Dates and Cinnamon Pears

Ingredients :

1 whole guinea fowl • 4 shallots • 3 pears • ground cinnamon • 1 lemon

Stuffing:
6 dates • 1 pot fromage frais • 1 pinch nutmeg • 1 tablespoon Cognac• 1 tablespoon pistachios • 2 slices gingerbread • 1 cinnamon stick and 1 clove

Sauce:
1 slice gingerbread • 2 pinches cinnamon • 1 lemon zest • cooking juices and shallots


 Serves 4   Experienced    - 20 mins   Between 20 and 45 mins

Making the stuffing

  •  Cut the dates into small pieces (stoning them first).
  •  In a bowl, add the fromage frais, the dates, a little grated nutmeg, the Cognac and the salt.
  •  Blend the pistachios, clove and gingerbread together and add to the fromage frais mixture.
  •  Insert the stuffing inside the guinea fowl using a teaspoon. Last insert the cinnamon stick.

Preparing the pears

  •  Peel and core the pears, then cut in two.
  •  Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, add some cold water and then the pears

       to stop them turning brown. It's now time to...

Prepare the guinea fowl

  •  Brush the guinea fowl with melted butter.
  •  Peel and roughly chop the shallots, putting them on the bottom of an oven dish and laying the bird on top.
  •  Roast in a hot oven for about 40 minutes.
  •  Turn the guinea fowl over every 10 minutes.
  •  After 20 minutes cooking, add a glass of hot water into the dish. Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
  •  Strain the pears, add a pinch of cinnamon and add to the oven dish.

Making the sauce

Blend the gingerbread, lemon zest, ground cinnamon and salt.

  • At the last minute, add the juice from the guinea fowl and the shallots and blend the mixture.