Guinea Hen Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Red Wine
Instructions:
Roasting the bird over this aromatic mélange gives it a deep, sophisticated taste. Use a big, chewy red wine like a Côtes-du-Rhone or a California Cabernet. Use a very sharp chef ’s knife to make even slices of the oranges, cutting them at a 90-degree angle from the stem end. A mandoline, set at a 1â„4-inch cut, will also do the trick, but make sure you use the food guard. One 3-pound guinea hen, giblets and neck removed 1 teaspoon salt 1â„2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 oranges, cut into thin, 1â„4-inch slices Four 5-inch rosemary spears 1â„2 cup red wine
Makes 4 small servings (can be doubled)
- Lay the guinea hen breast side up on your work surface. Insert a sharp chef ’s knife into the large cavity opening, locate the backbone, and make a cut from tip to tail along one side of the bone. Make a second cut along the other side of the backbone, thereby removing it. You can also clean up the breast section by removing the wing tips and cutting off excess rib sections that dangle free.
- Now fi nd the main joint between the thigh and the main part of the body. Feel for the balland- socket joint with your fi ngers. Wedge the knife in there, then cut down, slicing the thigh and leg quarter off the body. Do the same on the other side of the bird. (If you’re squeamish about these fi rst two steps, ask your butcher to quarter the hen.)
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Gently massage the salt and pepper into both sides of all the bird’s pieces.
- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat until a drop of water dances across the hot surface. Swirl in the olive oil, then slip the sections of the bird into the pan skin side down. Cook until well browned, about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to make sure the skin doesn’t stick.
- Remove the guinea hen quarters from the skillet. Pour off all the fat. Lay the orange slices across the bottom of the skillet, placing them so that the quarters can sit on top of them. Lay the rosemary sprigs over the orange slices.
- Return the guinea hen quarters to the pan skin side up, laying the pieces on the rosemary and oranges. Pour the wine over the birds, wetting them; slip the pan in the oven.
- Roast, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until very brown, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat without touching bone registers 165 F (our preference) or 180 F (the USDA recommendation), 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving with the orange slices.