Pot roast guinea fowl with brandy, sausages and apple

This was quite a nice way of cooking guinea fowl and was different from the usual way we roast it. We served this with roast potatoes, sprouts with shallots and pancetta, and poured over some of the onions and liquid from the pan the bird had been cooking in.

Ingredients (seves 2 with leftovers):

1 guinea fowl

1 white onion

2 sausages (we used chipolatas)

1/2 an apple

300ml chicken stock

a large glug of brandy

salt and pepper

olive oil

bay leaf

• Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees
• Remove the skin from the sausages and put the sausage meat in a bowl. Grate the apple into the sausage meat and season the mixture with a little salt and pepper
• Carefully insert your finger between the skin and the breast of the guinea fowl to make a pocket. Using a teaspoon transfer the sausage and apple mixture under the skin and push the mixture down to the bottom of the breast so that it is evenly distributed
• In a large, deep frying pan heat a little oil. Slice the onion and add the onion to the pan when it's hot. After a few minutes add the guinea fowl and brown slightly on each side, this should take about 5 minutes. Once this is done, add the brandy to the pan and let it bubble away for a few minutes
• Transfer the guinea fowl, onions and brandy juices to a deep oven proof dish. Add the bay leaf and pour over the stock
• Place in the pre heated oven for around 1 and a quarter hours (depending on size of bird - test the thickest part of the thigh to see if it's cooked). Take it out every 20 minutes or so to baste the bird using the brandy/stock juices
• You could make a proper gravy by reducing the juices further whilst the guinea fowl is resting but we just spooned some of the juices directly onto the carved meat