Surprisingly, I knew about guinea fowl before I came to France. My father loved them and would cook the birds at least once a year. I don’t know where he bought them but they were good. The decorative leaf on the pintade is absinthe 🙂
My first French experience with guinea fowl or pintade was in Arc-en-Barrois, Champagne-Ardenne region. Our son was spending a month with his friend Pierre at his grandparents house. We decided to go pick him up and, at the same time, visit the region for a week. The grandparents lived in a charming, 18th century villa, formerly a summer residence for French royals. Pierre’s mother and grandmother were incredible cooks and we ate lunch with them each day. The grandfather, a retired wine merchant, supplied the endless bottles of wine from his personal cellar. Everything was good but we particularly remember the guinea fowl.
The supreme cut of guinea fowl is the breast portion with the wing drumette attached. If you can’t get guinea fowl, you could ask your poultry person to do this with a chicken breast or you could do it yourself, Frugal.
Guinea Fowl Supreme with Roquefort and Spinach
1 fresh garlic clove or 2 dried garlic cloves, sliced
Butter
1 lb fresh baby spinach
2 supremes of guinea fowl
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Roquefort cheese
Saute the garlic in some butter until it begins to brown. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Divide the spinach between 2 medium sized individual ramekins. Set aside.
Season the guinea fowl with salt and pepper, then brush with olive oil. Roast in a 350 F oven for 25 minutes.
Slice each supreme, then place on top of the spinach, inserting a thin piece of roquefort between each slice. Roast in a 400 F oven for 10 minutes.
Wine suggestion: Epineuil
Hmm.. i will never look at the wandering guineas i have in my garden quite the same again! I am not sure they would be as tasty as this tho! c
Try and see 🙂
Delicious recipe – I’m very keen on pintade and this looks great.
Thank you Roger. I had forgotten how much I like it.
Like like like! What is it about French cooking that seems to outdo them all?
Thank you Vinny for visiting.
Pintade! Last time I had it was in a house that most likely no longer exists in Bourdon, P-auP, with a Dominio de Valdepusa Syrah by Marqués de Griñón. Djon-djon on the side.
I had some good pintade in Haiti myself, Jon.
I love how detail-oriented you are. A little sprig of absinthe. Awesome.
I was just looking for a way to use it Greg 🙂
Lovely dish! I really like the addition of the Roquefort cheese.
Thank you, the cheese added a nice, rich texture.
Indeed! I’m mulling over doing a post on how to butcher one’s own birds… is a very frugal way of getting every cut of a bird. This looks delicious, Rosemary!
Thank you Frugal.
We used to have a flock of guinea hens until our neighbors thought it was best to have them on a plate rather than wandering around the property.
Since I OD’d on bleu cheese this week, I’d substitute a nice herb infused goat cheese, this look delicious!
Hi Spoon. But bleu cheese is not the same as Roquefort.
Ah! You live where many distinctions are made between cheese. I love that about France, You are quite right!
It is in the bleu category though. What can I say about a country that invented Velveeta and “American” cheese? We get lazy and unjustifiably lump fine distinctions into one category.
Yummy! The first time I had pintade was in Niger. It was what the cooks made every time there was a request for chicken!
Pintade bicyclette?
Oh yeah! With a pack of Rothman’s (fancy, fancy) and an ice, ice cold Bière Niger!
High living indeed 🙂
So lovely with that Absinthe leaf.. I guess that’s what the drink is made from? You live in such a wonderful country.. I couldn’t imagine just driving to pick up my son at an 18th Century villa.. xo Smidge
Yes, I believe absinthe is one of the herbs included in the drink. Actually we didn’t just drive to Arc en Barrois, we flew from Mali then rented a car.
I’ve never had guinea, I must say your recipe looks delicious!
Thank you Katy. To me it taste like a not so gamey wild bird.
This looks lovely and tasty.
So juicy kale, I’ve got to do more with guinea fowl