Guinea Fowl Gravy

Guinea fowl sits somewhere between a good chicken and a mild game bird, and it is drier than either, so the gravy needs to be generous and gently creamy rather than dark and heavy. Vermouth is the right deglazer here because it is herbal rather than fruity, and tarragon has been going with this bird for about two hundred years for good reason.

Ingredients

Makes about 400ml, enough for four plates

• 2 tbsp fat and juices from the guinea fowl tin
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15g) plain flour
• 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) dry white vermouth Noilly Prat or similar
• 450ml (16fl oz) hot chicken stock
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tbsp creme fraiche
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and white pepper

Kit

• Roasting tin
• Whisk
• Fine sieve

Method

1. Rest the bird for fifteen minutes, breast down on a warm plate if you can manage it, so the juices run back into the drier breast meat rather than out onto the board.

2. Pour off most of the fat, keeping two tablespoons and all the juices. Guinea fowl gives up less fat than a chicken of the same size, so you may find you have barely enough, in which case add a small knob of butter.

3. Set the tin over a medium heat and cook the shallots for four minutes until soft and translucent but not coloured. This gravy should stay pale, so do not chase browning here.

4. Stir in the flour and cook for ninety seconds, no longer. You want the flour cooked but the roux kept blond, since a dark roux would bully the flavour of the bird.

5. Pour in the vermouth and let it bubble hard for two to three minutes, scraping the base of the tin. The herbal, slightly bitter edge of vermouth mellows quickly and it will start to smell rounded rather than sharp.

6. Add the hot stock in two goes, whisking each smooth, then simmer for eight minutes until it just coats a spoon. Keep it loose, as guinea fowl is dry meat and wants plenty of liquid on the plate.

7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche, the tarragon and the lemon juice. Adding the tarragon at the end keeps it fresh and aniseedy rather than stewed.

8. Warm it through gently without boiling, then strain into a jug if you want it smooth. Season with salt and white pepper so the pale gravy stays clean looking.

Tips worth knowing

• Guinea fowl is lean and roasts fast. Cover the breast with buttered paper or bacon and take it out five minutes before you think it is done.
• Do not boil the gravy once the creme fraiche is in. It will not curdle easily but it can go grainy and lose its shine.
• Vermouth keeps for months in the fridge once opened, unlike white wine, which makes it a useful bottle to have around for exactly this sort of gravy.
• If you cannot get fresh tarragon, use half a teaspoon of dried and add it with the stock so it has time to soften, rather than at the end.

Keeping and reheating

Best eaten fresh but it keeps two days in the fridge. Reheat gently without boiling. It does not freeze well because of the creme fraiche, so freeze it before that stage if you need to.

Questions people ask