Oriental guinea-fowl

In this dish I chose to use and pair Birra Moretti Grand Cru because of its intense flavour, but also of its balance and persistence. The ample bouquet and the aromas full of character make this the ideal ingredient for an Oriental-style glazing. These scents finely suit the pairing with the intense taste of the guinea-fowl, which is matched and not overwhelmed by the blend of ingredients that complete the dish.

Birra Moretti Grand Cru glazed guinea-fowl with potatoes and peanuts

Recipe for 4 people

INGREDIENTS
1,3 kg guinea-fowl
350 g medium-sized potatoes
3 dl whole milk
150 g raw shelled peanuts
pork net
200 g guinea fowl cooking juices
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
50 g butter
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1,5 g agar agar
75 cl Birra Moretti Grand Cru

METHOD
Eliminate any feather residue from the guinea-fowl, then singe it and wash it. Now debone it starting from the breast, so as to obtain two halves. Divide the breast from the legs, debone the latter, cutting any nerves and seasoning the meat with oil, salt and pepper. Roll the breast, leaving the skin facing outwards and wrap it in a pork net so that the meat will stay compact.

Put the breasts in a vacuum pack, add 200 g of Birra Moretti Grand Cru, seal the pack and leave the meat to marinate for 5 hours in the fridge. Later, cook it in a thermal cooker at 68°C for 20 minutes. Once this time has passed, quickly reduce the temperature in iced water. Marinate the legs, cut into small pieces of the same size, but without using the thermal cooker.

Peel and wash the potatoes, then make some spaghetti out of them by using a vegetable press. Separate 160 g of potato spaghetti and finely chop the rest. Lightly fry the potatoes in a casserole with some extra virgin olive oil. After a couple of minutes add the milk and continue to cook on a low heat for 30 minutes so they don’t stick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add 100 g of peanuts and 50 g of butter.

Bring 100 g of Birra Moretti Grand Cru to the boil and dilute 1,5 g di agar agar in it. Once this has melted and hydrated, add 70 g of beer and put the mixture in a bowl in the fridge for at least three hours. Once the Birra Moretti Grand Cru gel is obtained, blend it so as to get a smooth cream with a strong beer flavour. Pour the mixture into a piping bag. Drain the marinated meat and using the pieces of meat from the leg form four small skewers. Delicately cook the guinea-fowl on some oak embers so that the meat becomes golden outside but juicy and acquires a delicate smoky aroma.

Put 200 g of beer in a sauté pan, add the cooking juices from the guinea-fowl and bring it to the boil. Cook the potato spaghetti for a few minutes in this mixture, so they can absorb the beer and the guinea-fowl sauce. Once they are cooked “al dente”, season with the chopped peanuts adding salt and pepper to taste. Dish out putting a tablespoon of potato and peanut cream in the centre, in the shape of a drop. On the side, add the potato-beer-guinea-fowl spaghetti and the meat skewer and, on the cream, the breast cut into pieces.

Moisten everything with some of the cooking juices aromatised with the beer and decorate with some “sprigs” of beer gel, some whole peanuts and some leaves of hop sprouts.