Name: Pot-roast guinea fowl with lentils, sherry & bacon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling; 50g butter; 1 small guinea fowl; 100g smoked bacon lardons; 1 carrot finely chopped; 1 onion finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 2 bay leaves; 100g puy lentils; 100ml dry sherry; 225ml chicken stock; ½ bunch tarragon; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 100ml double cream; juice of ½ a lemon; handful each tarragon leaves and parsley leaves

Pot-roast guinea fowl with lentils, sherry & bacon

1 tbsp olive oil
plus extra for drizzling
50g butter
1 small guinea fowl
100g smoked bacon lardons
1 carrot
finely chopped
1 onion
finely chopped
2 celery
sticks, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
100g puy lentils
100ml dry sherry
225ml chicken stock
½ bunch tarragon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

To serve

100ml double cream
juice of ½ a lemon
handful each tarragon
leaves and parsley leaves

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a roomy flameproof casserole dish, heat the oil and butter until foaming. Season the guinea fowl all over. Spend a good 10 mins gently frying it on all sides until browned, then remove to a plate.
step 2
Fry the bacon in the same dish until starting to colour, then add the carrot, onion, celery and bay, and fry for 10 mins until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the lentils, pour over the sherry and chicken stock to just cover, and add the tarragon. Nestle the bird back among the lentils, breast-side up, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 1 hr.
step 3
While the bird is roasting, make the sauce. Bring the cream and lemon juice to the boil and season. Remove from the heat, add the herbs, purée with a hand blender and set aside.
step 4
When the guinea fowl is ready, remove from the dish and give the lentils a good stir. Add the mustard and a drizzle of olive oil to the lentils, then transfer them to a serving plate. Place the guinea fowl on top and serve with the sauce alongside.