1/2 Guinea Hen Recipe

Prep and Season Hen

Pat the butterflied half guinea hen dry with paper towels. Season both sides liberally with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Let rest at room temperature 20–30 minutes while you prepare other components.

Render Pork Belly and Andouille

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbs neutral oil. Add pork belly lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and edges are crisp — about 8–10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in pan. Add andouille slices to the same pan and brown 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside with pork belly. Reserve pan and fat for searing the hen.

Roast/Sear Guinea Hen

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat the skillet with reserved fat over medium-high. Add 1 tbs oil if pan is dry and 1 tbs butter. Place the hen skin side down and sear without moving until deeply golden, about 4–6 minutes. Flip and sear skinless side 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer reads 62–65°C (145–150°F) in the thickest part of the thigh, about 12–18 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil and rest 10 minutes. Slice into portions for plating.

Rinse the Carolina Gold rice under cold water until runoff is clear. Drain well.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 tbs olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery and green pepper (trinity) and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5–6 minutes, without browning.

Add the drained rice to the trinity, stir to coat with oil and toast 1–2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups chicken stock and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook gently 18–20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit covered 5 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Fold in half of the rendered pork belly and some of the browned andouille (reserve some pieces for garnish) to infuse flavor. Keep warm.

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until fork-tender, about 12–15 minutes. Drain well and return to pot over low heat for 1 minute to dry.

Pass the potatoes through a ricer or mash very fine. Warm the milk and butter together until butter melts. Stir the milk-butter mixture into the potatoes until smooth and silky. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper. Stir in 2 tbs of the crushed chicharrone for a subtle porky crunch; reserve remaining chicharrone for garnish. Keep warm.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender, then shock in an ice bath. Drain and reserve.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high, add 1 tbs neutral oil or reserved pork fat. Add zucchini and summer squash, season with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and sauté until golden at the edges but still with bite, 4–5 minutes. Add a squeeze (1 tsp) lemon juice and the blanched green beans to combine and warm through for 1 minute. Remove from heat and toss in sliced spring onions and a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Garnish: reserve a few fresh berries and some microgreens for plating. Keep the rest of the berries for the jus and final garnish as directed below.

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Spread the chicken/guinea hen bones and trimmings on a sheet pan, drizzle a little oil, and roast until deeply browned, about 20–25 minutes. This step can be done earlier with the hen roasting.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tbs oil and sauté the minced shallot until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the roasted bones to the pan (or brown them in the pan if already roasted), add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with 120 ml dry red wine, scraping up browned bits, and reduce by half.

Add 600 ml chicken stock, smashed garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer gently 25–30 minutes to concentrate flavor. Remove bones, bay leaf and thyme stems, and strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing solids to extract flavor.

Add 150 g blackberries to the strained jus and simmer 6–8 minutes until berries break down. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Return to low heat, whisk in cold 25 g butter to finish and add up to 1/2 tsp sugar if the sauce is too tart. Season to taste with about 1/2 tsp salt. Keep warm; sauce should be glossy and spoonable.

Warm plates. Spoon a generous quenelle or smear of chicharrone potato purée toward the center of each plate.

Place a portion of Carolina Gold rice (about 1/2 cup) beside the puree. Arrange the sautéed summer squash, zucchini and green beans neatly next to the rice.

Slice the rested guinea hen into 2–3 pieces and fan across the rice and vegetables. Scatter the reserved crisp pork belly and andouille pieces atop or beside the bird for texture.

Spoon the warm blackberry chicken jus around and lightly over the meat (use sparingly so the plate stays refined). Add a few fresh berries for brightness and crushed chicharrone over the puree for crunch.

Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, scatter sliced spring onions and microgreens, and a final pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.