Guinea Fowl with Pumpkin Sauce and Roast Beetroot

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 guinea fowl breasts
olive oil,
salt and pepper
mixed cress to garnish

Beetroot
2kg mixed beetroot, washed
olive oil
garlic cloves, skin on
beriyani spices
coarse sea salt and black pepper

Pumpkin Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
500g guinea fowl trimmings or carcasses
1 shallot, finely chopped
300 g pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into cubes
50 ml Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
200 ml sweet white wine
1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf, celery)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
3 star anise
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
40 g butter
salt and pepper

Method
Peel the beetroot and lay in a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the beriyani spices and drizzle with the olive oil. Scatter over the garlic cloves.

Place in a 180°C oven for at least and hour, depending on the size of the beetroot, until tender. Keep warm.

Peel the beetroot and lay in a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the beriyani spices and drizzle with the olive oil. Scatter over the garlic cloves.

Place in a 180°C oven for at least and hour, depending on the size of the beetroot, until tender. Keep warm.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the guineafowl trimmings or carcasses and brown over a medium-high heat. Pour out any excess fat. Add the shallot and pumpkin and sweat over low heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the vinegar and reduce by about half. Add the sweet white wine and reduce until only one-third of the liquid remains. Add the bouquet garni, vanilla pod, star anise and stock. Simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Work through a sieve into a clean plan, pushing the  soft pumpkin through. Whisk the butter in over a low heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Season the guinea fowl with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the guinea fowl breasts, skin-side down, until golden brown. Turn over on to the meat side and fry for a further 1 minute. Transfer to an oven tray.

Place the guinea fowl in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just cooked. Remove from the oven and allow t rest, loosely covered with aluminium foil for 5 minutes.

Slice the guinea fowl breasts. Place a pool of sauce on each plate. Lay the sliced guineafowl on top and the beetroot to the side. Garnish with a few mixed cress.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours