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November 2006
Recipe
Guinea Hen with Cabbage and Sausages
(Pintade aux Choux et Saucisses)
My
mother once tried to raise guinea hens, tiresome birds that made a
lot of noise and were hard to catch as they persisted in roosting
in the trees. So when I moved to France and found guinea hens
ready-prepared in the local market I was delighted. They have
much more taste than a chicken and handily replace game birds such
as partridge and pheasant. If you cannot find them, use a small
chicken instead.
Serves 4
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1.35kg/3lb guinea hen
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a
medium head white cabbage (about 1.35kg/3lb)
-
1½
tablespoons vegetable oil
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8
small or 4 medium sausages (about 225g/½lb)
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8
thickly cut slices bacon (about 170g/6oz)
-
salt
and pepper
-
6-8
small carrots OR 2 large carrots, quartered
-
500ml/16fl oz/2 cups chicken stock
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250ml/8fl oz/1 cup white wine
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1
onion, studded with a clove
-
bouquet garni
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2
tablespoons chopped parsley
-
large
casserole
-
Truss
the guinea hen with string (see Glossary p.00). Heat the oven to
180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Quarter the cabbage, discard the core and
shred each wedge, cutting across the veins in the leaves. Blanch
the cabbage by boiling it in the casserole in salted water,
allowing 1 minute after it has come to a boil. Drain the
cabbage and set aside.
-
Wipe
out the casserole, heat the oil in it and brown the sausages,
2-3 minutes. Take them out, then brown the guinea hen on all
sides. Take it out, add the bacon slices and fry until starting
to brown. Take out half of them. Spread half the cabbage over
the remaining bacon in the pan and sprinkle with a little salt
and pepper. Put the hen on top, surrounded by the carrots, and
cover with the remaining cabbage. Season with salt and pepper
and top with the remaining bacon slices. Pour in the stock and
wine. Add the onion and bouquet garni, pushing them well down
into the cabbage. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer in the oven
for 1-1¼ hours or until the hen and carrots are tender. During
the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the sausages to the
casserole to reheat, pushing them down into the cabbage.
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When
the bird is tender, transfer the hen to a carving board, and
cover it with foil to keep warm. Lift out the sausages, bacon
and carrots. Lift out the cabbage with a slotted spoon so the
cooking juices are left in the pan. Boil the cooking juices
until well flavored and reduced to about 375ml/12fl oz/1½ cups.
Discard the onion and bouquet garni from the cabbage and pile it
in the center of a large platter. Either set the hen on top or
cut it into quarters, discarding the backbone, and set the
pieces on top. Arrange the sausages, bacon, and carrots around
the edge of the cabbage. Cover the dish and keep it hot in a low
oven while you finish the gravy.
-
Skim
off excess fat from the gravy, reheat it, taste and adjust the
seasoning. Spoon a little around the cabbage platter and serve
the rest separately. Sprinkle the platter with parsley just
before serving.
Shortcut: Blanch the cabbage for 5 minutes so it is partly
cooked. Cut the guinea hen in 4 pieces before browning it.
Continue as directed, simmering only 45-55 minutes until the hen
and carrots are tender.
Getting Ahead: The whole dish can be completely cooked ahead
and gently reheated on top of the stove, taking at least 15
minutes so all the contents are hot. I would, however, make the
gravy after reheating the bird and cabbage.
On
the Side: Caramelized Tomatoes (see Sidebar p.00) will add a
cheerful touch of color.
In
the Glass: A Pinot Noir would be so very good with this
recipe, or a simple Beaujolais if your budget is tight.
Sidebar
Caramelized Tomatoes: I make these tomatoes in generous
quantities to serve with almost anything, for example steak,
grilled fish or chicken, or a plump veal chop. Set them on a slice
of crusty ciabatta bread sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil and
you have a champion bruschetta.
Gently heat a large
frying pan and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons sugar. Leave it for
2 minutes to melt without stirring, then stir lightly and leave
the sugar to cook to a golden caramel. Remove from the heat and
add at once add 3 tablespoons vinegar, standing back as it can
sting your eyes. Stir in 4 tablespoons olive oil and return the
pan to the heat, stirring for about a minute until the caramel has
dissolved. Let the pan cool slightly, sprinkle with salt and
pepper, and add 450g/1lb plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise. Tuck 2
sprigs rosemary and 2 bay leaves down among the tomatoes, together
with the unpeeled cloves from a whole head of garlic. Cover and
cook the tomatoes over a low heat for 15 minutes. Remove lid and
cook for 35-40 minutes until almost all liquid has gone. Makes
enough tomatoes for 4.
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