Guinea Hen with Pomagranite Sauce, or Faraona alla Melagrana: Guinea hens are close relatives of domestic chickens, but have a more distinctive gamy flavor to them that goes quite nicely with pomagranites. This recipe will take a bit more than an hour to prepare, and will serve 8.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 guinea hens
- 1 shallot
- Ground cinnamon
- 8 ounces (200 g) coarsely ground walnut meats
- 2 large pomegranates
- 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation:
Clean the guinea fowl, flame them to eliminate any stray feathers that remain, wash them, and pat them dry. Quarter each and brown them in a non-stick pan without oil, turning the pieces frequently. Then remove them to a warm place.
Mince the shallot and sauté it in a tablespoon of oil, adding the nutmeats when it has browned lightly. Continue cooking until they are lightly browned, and remove them from the fire.
Squeeze the lemons and filter their juice. Seed the pomegranates and squeeze two thirds of them in a potato ricer to extract their juice. Combine the pomegranate and lemon juices and stir them into the shallot-and-walnut mixture. Dust with cinnamon to taste (a quarter teaspoon or so) and return the pan to the fire. As soon as the liquid comes to a boil add the guinea fowl pieces, stirring them about to cover them with the sauce, season everything with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and add about 2/3 cup of water. Simmer, covered, over a low flame for about an hour, stirring the pieces around every now and again.
When the meat is cooked, stir in the honey, mixing well to distribute it evenly through the sauce. Dot the meat with the reserved pomegranate seeds and serve it, with a garnish of lemon and orange wedges.
The wine? Since this is going to be fairly sweet, I would go with a white wine, perhaps a Soave.
Mince the shallot and sauté it in a tablespoon of oil, adding the nutmeats when it has browned lightly. Continue cooking until they are lightly browned, and remove them from the fire.
Squeeze the lemons and filter their juice. Seed the pomegranates and squeeze two thirds of them in a potato ricer to extract their juice. Combine the pomegranate and lemon juices and stir them into the shallot-and-walnut mixture. Dust with cinnamon to taste (a quarter teaspoon or so) and return the pan to the fire. As soon as the liquid comes to a boil add the guinea fowl pieces, stirring them about to cover them with the sauce, season everything with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and add about 2/3 cup of water. Simmer, covered, over a low flame for about an hour, stirring the pieces around every now and again.
When the meat is cooked, stir in the honey, mixing well to distribute it evenly through the sauce. Dot the meat with the reserved pomegranate seeds and serve it, with a garnish of lemon and orange wedges.
The wine? Since this is going to be fairly sweet, I would go with a white wine, perhaps a Soave.
