Roasted spiced guinea fowl served with coconut and cucumber salad

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 4

Hairy Bikers recipes
From Saturday Kitchen Best Bites

Ingredients

For the guinea fowl

• 4 guinea fowl breasts, bone and skin removed
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 4 cardamom pods, seeds only
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1cm/½in fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, seeds removed, chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground mace
• pinch white pepper
• 1 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the salad

• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, cut into ribbons with potato peeler
• 2 tomatoes, cored, seeds removed, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 200g/7oz fresh coconut, grated
• ½ tsp palm sugar
• ½ lemon, juice only
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut deep slashes into the guinea fowl breasts, in three or four places (this will allow the spices to permeate the meat).

3. Place the fennel and coriander seeds into a dry frying pan and heat for 1-2 minutes, or until just toasted and fragrant.

4. Place the toasted spices into a pestle and mortar. Add the cardamom seeds and crush the spices to a powder.

5. Place the yoghurt, ginger, chilli, salt, mace, white pepper and fresh coriander into a clean bowl. Add the freshly ground spice mixture and mix thoroughly.

6. Heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot. Add the olive oil and guinea fowl breasts and cook for one minute on each side, or until golden-brown all over. Remove from the heat.

7. Divide the yoghurt and spice paste among the four breasts, spreading it all over the slashed area of the breasts.

8. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-12 minutes, or until the guinea fowl is completely cooked through. (The juices will run clear when the meat is pierced at its thickest point with a metal skewer.)

9. Meanwhile, for the salad, place the cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, chilli and coconut into a clean bowl and mix together.

10. Whisk the palm sugar, lemon juice and olive oil together in a clean bowl and drizzle over the salad mixture.

11. To serve, spoon the salad onto plates and top each with a roasted guinea fowl breast.