Stuffed Breast of Guinea Fowl Caramelized in Hydromel Wine

Ingredients

Glaze:

• 2 guinea fowl
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 onion
• 1/2 leek
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh butter
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/4 ounces fresh shallots, chopped
• 1/2 cup hydromel wine*
• 1 1/4 ounces dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the breasts from the guinea fowls and set them aside. Chop up the carcasses and legs and brown the pieces in a roasting pan in the oven, this should take about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in a large stock pot.

Coarsely chop up all the vegetables and put them in the pot with the browned carcass pieces. Add the garlic, the bouquet garni, the fresh thyme, and the tomato paste. Cover with water by about 2-inches. Bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half. Keep in mind that the slower the simmer, the better tasting the glaze will be. Once simmered, strain the contents to keep only the juices and the broth and viola! The base for your sauce.

In a frying pan, melt the butter and incorporate the honey. When the mixture becomes thick and foamy, quickly brown the 4 reserved breasts on both sides, taking care not to let the honey blacken. Finish cooking the breasts in the oven on a baking sheet, about 10 minutes. To the pan, add the chopped shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the hydromel wine, reducing for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the sauce base and cook until the mixture has slightly thickened. Add the dried cranberries at the last moment.

Set the guinea fowl breasts on a plate dress it with gravy.

*web site for US producers of hydromel wine http://www.skyriverbrewing.com