Lemon Guinea Fowl

With culinary expert Hollenstein from Movenpick Hotel Hanoi

You may be familiar with the sweet lemons of the Italian Amalfi coast, but did you know California remains ahead of Italy on the list of the top 10 citrus-growing countries globally?

It’s therefore only logical that our version of ‘lemon chicken’ has a zesty Californian twist.

Ingredients: serves 3-4

For the guinea fowl:

4 guinea fowl breasts with skin and wing bones

1 bunch sage                                                                                

2 red onions

2 lemons

8 cherry tomatoes

50g peas

50g sugar peas

Rapeseed oil to taste

For the pearl onion confit:

20g sugar

250g pearl onions

100ml port

150ml veal stock

1 bay leaf

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the pea puree:

300g potatoes

300g peas, frozen

25g butter

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

culinary expert Hollenstein from Movenpick Hotel Hanoi

Method:

For the guinea fowl:

- Pat the guinea fowl breasts dry with kitchen paper and remove any sinew from the fleshy side.

- Wash the sage and shake dry. Slightly loosen a section of the skin on the guinea fowl breasts and stuff the sage leaves under the skin.

- Season the guinea fowl breast with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and sear skin-side down in a hot pan with a little oil.

- Add the lemon and red onion halves cut-side down, scatter over the rest of the sage, baste the meat in the juices and then roast in the oven until cooked through. Leave to rest.

For the pearl onion confit:

- Put the pearl onions in water so they are easier to peel, then blanch in salted water and briefly rinse.

- Caramelise the sugar in a pan until it turns golden, add the blanched pearl onions, and deglaze the pan with port and let it reduce.

- Add the veal stock and stir well until the pearl onions take on some colour. Add the bay leaf, cover and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes.

For the pea puree:

- Wash and peel the potatoes and cook in salted water.

- Add the peas and boil briefly, then drain.

- Blend with fresh butter and season to taste.

Serving:

• Pierce the cherry tomatoes, cook briefly in boiling water, and then immediately rinse in ice-cold water. Drain. Blanch the sugar peas and peas in salted water until cooked, rinse in iced water, drain and dab dry. Heat all the sugar peas, peas and cherry tomatoes together with a little olive oil, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
• Place two spoonfuls of pea puree on the plate, cut the guinea fowl breast lengthwise and serve on top, then add the vegetables, tomatoes, the lemon and red onion halves. Serve the pearl onion confit separately – drizzle over some confit just before serving.

You can sample the dish at Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi, 83A Lý Thường Kiệt St, Hoàn Kiếm Dist, Hà Nội. Tel: +84 24 38 22 28 00 ext 6133.