Cumin roasted guinea fowl breast with braised leg pastilla, smoked aubergine, imam
bayildi, wilted broad leaf spinach, golden raison and preserved lemon jus
Preparation time: 30 minutes preparation plus 30 minutes marinating
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the guinea fowl breasts:
4 x guinea fowl breasts
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Salt & pepper
For the pastilla:
1tsp fennel seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp coriander seeds
4 guinea fowl legs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 banana shallots, peeled & chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
500ml chicken stock
500ml beef stock
1 teaspoon saffron
Sprig of thyme
25g golden raisins
25ml honey
25ml harissa
1 tbsp mint, chopped
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper
4 x sheets filo pastry, cut into 12 x 8cm square sheets
25g unsalted butter, melted for brushing the pastry
1tbsp icing sugar
1tsp cinnamon
Vegetable oil for deep fat frying
To finish the jus:
25g golden raisons
25g preserved lemon
2 tsp. honey
1tsp harissa
For the puree:
1 aubergine – whole
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon
2tbsp Greek yogurt
50ml olive oil
salt & pepper
For the imam bayaldi:
1 aubergine (cut into 2cm by 2cm cubes)
Vegetable oil for deep fat frying & sautéing
2 shallots, peeled & chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp chilli flakes
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground cinnamon
1 x 410g tin chopped tomatoes
2tsp coriander
2tsp mint
2tsp parsley
15g golden raisons
Saffron strands (pinch of saffron/ tsp. or about 50 strands)
For the spinach:
100g broad leaf spinach
2 cloves garlic
25g butter
Garnish
Coriander cress
Method:
1. Season the guinea fowl breasts with the ground spices and salt & pepper. Set aside
covered in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
2. For the pastilla, toast the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds in a dry non-stick pan.
Crush the toasted spices and rub into the guinea fowl legs. Heat a tablespoon of the
olive oil until hot and seal the guinea fowl legs until brown and golden. In a pressure
cooker heat the remaining olive oil and sweat the shallots and garlic until translucent
then add the guinea fowl legs. Cover with the chicken & beef stock and saffron, bring
to the boil and cook at the highest pressure for 25 minutes. Remove the legs from
the pressure cooker and pick the meat from the bones. Mix together with the
remaining pastilla ingredients. Make each pastilla roll by brushing four squares of
pastry with melted butter. Take a spoonful of the guinea fowl mix and roll into four
fat cigars. Just before serving heat the oil in a deep fat fryer until 180C and cook the
pastilla until golden and crispy. Lightly dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.
3. Finish the jus by reducing the braising liquor until thickened and adding the golden
raisins, preserved lemon, honey and harissa.
4. Next make the iman bayaldi. Deep fry the aubergine cubes until golden. Drain on
kitchen paper. In a frying pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and sweat the shallots
and garlic. Add the spices
1) After this, seal the guinea fowl just on the skin side in a pan until golden and then
place in the oven at 200c skin side down to crisp the skin for 6 minutes and then rest
for 3 minutes at least
Imam bayaldi
1) For the imam bayaldi sweat the shallot and garlic in a saucepan and then fry the
aubergine in the deep fat fryer at 160c until coloured and tender then drain onto
paper and leave to cool.
2) Meanwhile add the spices to the onions and cook out for 1 minute and then add
saffron strands and tomatoes and reduce until all the liquid has evaporated.
3) When reduced add the fried aubergine and remove from the heat stir gently and
leave to infuse and amalgamate.
4) Finish the imam by adding the herbs and raisons and leave to warm
Aubergine puree
1) Place the aubergine in a saucepan whole and scorch until charred all round until
almost burnt.
2) Take out from the pan and split in half and scrape out the flesh. Then blend in the
thermo until smooth finish with yogurt and lemon juice.
3)
Spinach
1) In a pan, cook the spinach in foaming butter and garlic for about 90 seconds.
To plate
1)
Spread the aubergine puree on the bottom of the
plate and then add a quenelle of the iman onto the right hand side of the puree.
2)
Then put the guinea fowl on the left hand side and the
spinach in the middle of the two.
3)
Stack the pastille on top of the spinach resting over
the iman and drizzle the jus around and finish with coriander cress.