March 7, 2008, Newsletter Issue #91: Guinea Hen, A Favorite Gourmet Meat

Tip of the Week

Guinea hen is a favorite gourmet meat. This tender and delicate meat falls between pheasant and chicken. The average guinea hen weighs between two and three pounds. Guinea hen tastes the best when it is cooked well-done.

Guinea Hen Roast

1 guinea hen that is well rinsed and dried
1 orange cut in half
1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1 onion that is cut in half
½ teaspoon of paprika
5 sprigs of Italian parsley
5 slices of bacon
15 cloves of garlic
5 potatoes, cut into 6 pieces each
½ cup of Madeira
Salt and Pepper (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Squeeze one of the orange halves inside and outside of the hen (this will refresh the hen)
3. Dry the cavity and then sprinkle thyme, paprika, salt and pepper inside.
4. Place the remaining orange half, parsley sprigs and the onions inside the cavity.
5. Truss the hen.
6. Sprinkle the outside of the hen with thyme, salt, pepper and paprika.
7. Place the hen in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up.
8. Lay your bacon slices over the top of the breast
9. Distribute the potatoes and garlic cloves around the hen. Sprinkle them with any remaining paprika or thyme.
10. Pour the Madeira into the pan.
11. Bake for 30 minutes, basting once.
12. After 30 minutes, you should remove the bacon from the chicken breast and reduce the oven's temperature to 350 degrees.
13. Bake for an hour, basting frequently. You will know your hen is done when the juices from the thickest part of the thigh run clear when pierced with a knife.
14. Remove your hen from the oven. Undo the ties and discard the cavity ingredients.
15. Put your hen on a warmed platter and surround it with the potatoes and garlic.

Source: The New Basics Cookbook

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