Roast Guinea Fowl With Garlic Lemon And Tarragon Recipe

How to make it

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• Take the bird out of the fridge half an hour before you want to start cooking it. See Photo
• Preheat the oven to Gas 6/200C/400F.
• Unwrap the bird. Undo the trussing 'string' See Photo. Wash and dry it inside and out. Unfold the wings. Cut off the 'parson's nose' and any excess skin or fat at the neck and vent.
• Combine the butter, garlic, tarragon, lemon zest and juice, and crushed black pepper and salt to taste (see above).
• Carefully make a space with your fingers between the breast skin and the meat underneath.
• Push in half the garlic butter mixture in under the skin and massage it throughout the breast. See Photo
• Rub the rest of the butter all over the outside of the bird, including underneath.
• Tie the legs loosely together using trussing string. Fold up the wings again.
• Lay the strips of bacon over the bird, making sure that it is all covered. See Photo
• Put the flour into the roasting bag and shake it around to coat the inside with flour. There will be some excess in the bottom of the bag.
• Put the bird inside and tie the opening of the bag up with the tyers provided See Photo. Cut a tiny corner off the bag, to allow steam to escape during cooking.
• Transfer the bird, bag 'n' all, to a rack on a roasting tin.
• Roast in the centre of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes (this is 20 minutes per lb. plus 20 minutes for a 2 1/2 lb bird).
• Remove from the oven and cut open the bag at the top.
• Remove the bird to a carving tray with the bacon still on, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string from the legs.
• There should be a combination of melted butter, flour and the bird juices in the bottom of the bag. Transfer this liquid to a saucepan.
• Squeeze in the juice from the other lemon half. Bring to a boil and whisk vigorously to disperse the flour. Let the sauce thicken and reduce a bit.
• Serve this lemon gravy with the carved bird and the bacon.