Guinea Fowl Normandé

Chef's Tips

The domestic Guinea Fowl is still found in the wild where it forages in large flocks and is considered a fine game bird. It is mainly kept for food, as its eggs and meat are very good to eat. Sometimes called Pintade, Guinea Fowl are a family of birds originating from Africa, related to other game birds such as the pheasants, turkeys and partridges, and having a long history of domestication, mainly involving the Helmeted Guinea fowl?

Here in the UK, they were usually known as "Gleanies” the young (called "keets") are very small at birth and are kept in a brooder box inside the house until about six weeks of age, before being moved into a proper coop or enclosure the cooked flesh of guinea fowl resembles chicken in texture, with a flavour somewhere between chicken and turkey it makes a great alternative to chicken for a warming dinner on an autumn night, with a lovely flavour that is slightly gamey but very subtle much less gamier than pheasant or grouse, it can be magnificent when cooked simply. Guinea fowl meat is high in protein and low in cholesterol. It is a good source of vitamin B6, selenium, and niacin.
Guinea fowl are an important food throughout much of Africa, south of the Sahara, and are found in every region of the world. France, Belgium, and Italy are amongst the largest producers in Europe.
They are hardy birds that forage for food and so are often farmed in free range or semi wild facilities where they perform a valuable pest control function. They have an acute awareness of predators and so are valued for their role as a 'watchdog', alerting farmers to any henhouse intrusions. It is reported that they have the ability to distinguish between farmers' family members and strangers.

BUYING,
Available all year round, the Best Season Is, September, October, November, December, January, February, Look for free-range guinea fowl, rather than the intensively reared birds, many butchers sell free-range guinea fowl imported from France and if you ever see them the eggs are excellent and worth buying.

STORING
With giblets removed, a whole guinea fowl will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

PREPARING AND COOKING
Guinea fowl is prepared in much the same way as chicken is, as it is generally a smaller bird, cooking methods that help retain moistness are recommended, pot roasting or casseroling.
Barding or regular basting is prudent when roasting guinea fowl, legs and wings are also excellent if marinated for a few hours before grilling.