Guinea fowl

The Romans were the first to appreciate the taste of the meat of these birds, which have beautiful dark plumage with white spots and live in the savanna. Then, in the course of their research trips, the Romans brought guinea fowl to Europe, and so, already in the 15th century, the French also tried guinea fowl.

Time passed. And if at first guinea fowl were considered a delicacy in France, then later they lost this status, as their breeding became widespread. Even now, a significant part of the guinea fowl sold on the market is supplied by the French. And recently they were joined by Italians and Belgians.

Fans of guinea fowl can not agree on whether to consider the guinea fowl as a game or as a domestic bird. The fact is that the main percentage of guinea fowl is raised in nurseries, so it is very difficult to classify guinea fowl in one or another category of products.

In terms of taste, guinea fowl is closer to game: it tastes more intense than chicken, but less intense than pheasant. Despite the latter circumstance, guinea fowl can be prepared in the same way as pheasant.

As a rule, the carcass of a guinea fowl weighs about 1.5 kg, which corresponds to the 12-15-week age of the bird. During frying, the carcasses of young guinea fowl must be protected from drying out, for this it is best to either cover them with thin pieces of fat on top (it is recommended to buy fat cut from the back of the pig), or wrap them in them (a la mummy). Carcasses of older guinea fowl are recommended to be either stewed, or steamed, or fried in hot butter, followed by cooking in a saucepan (with the addition of a small amount of liquid).

Guinea fowl can be served at any time of the year. In summer, it is preferable to cook it in a "Roman pot" with herbs (marjoram, tarragon or kupyr), lemon, shallots, fresh cream and mushrooms. In winter, there is a reason to try the crispy guinea fowl baked in the oven, stuffed with onions, apples and nuts.