Guinea fowl with Savoy cabbage

FOOD & WINE MATCH

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Guinea fowl with Savoy cabbage

Wine to try
2007 Roundstone Gamay, Yarra Valley, A$25
Guinea fowl are often grazed in vineyards to help control pests and restore ecological balance. They make delicious eating, too – with delicate gamey flavours and a fine texture. This recipe treats the guinea fowl with respect: the onion, carrot and garlic giving a rustic touch to the dish.

Naturally, the partnering wine should be gentle and rustic – so gamay is a good choice. Gamay is little-known in Australia but it’s grown in huge volume in France where it is the mandatory red variety in the southern Burgundy region of Beaujolais. A distant cousin of pinot noir, gamay is light-bodied with juicy red-fruit flavours, low tannins and fresh acidity, which it maintains when grown in warm regions. These characteristics make gamay a likely contender in this warm country but few have grasped the opportunity. Len Evans did, as has Phillip Jones of Bass Phillip fame, David Lloyd at Eldridge Estate on the Mornington and John and Lynne Derwin of Roundstone in the Yarra Valley.

This recipe appeared in the June/July 2009 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.

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Guinea fowl with Savoy cabbage

Serves 4

6 tbsp	butter
200g	lardoons
2	red onions, cut into eighths
1	carrot, sliced
3 cloves	garlic, sliced
1	small Savoy cabbage, leaves separated, then roughly chopped into large pieces
2	fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs	fresh thyme
1	(about 1.5kg) guinea fowl, quartered
250 ml	chicken stock

1	Preheat oven to 180C. Heat half the butter in a Le Creuset-style casserole dish over medium heat. Add the lardoons, onion, carrot and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage, bay leaves and thyme and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
2	Meanwhile, heat remaining butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and sauté guinea fowl pieces for 7-8 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Transfer guinea fowl pieces to vegetables in casserole dish, add the stock, cover with lid then cook in oven for about 40 minutes until guinea fowl is tender.