Guinea fowl with roast chestnuts

4 servings 800 kcal or less autumn chestnut chestnut mushroom chestnut mushrooms chestnuts gravy guinea fowl mains over an hour potato potatoes redcurrant jelly roast chicken roast chicken with chestnuts roast dinner roast guinea fowl winter

N/A

Source

Ingredients

1 guinea fowl or chicken, about 1.3kg/3lb

1 lemon

2 bay leaves

several thyme sprigs

3 tbsp olive oil

500g potato , unpeeled, cut into chunks

3 garlic cloves , unpeeled and bruised

200g chestnut mushroom , halved if large

200g cooked chestnut

150ml white wine

150ml chicken stock

1 tbsp bramble or redcurrant jelly

Method

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Season the guinea fowl or chicken inside and out, halve the lemon, then put inside the bird with the bay leaves and 2 thyme sprigs. Set in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little olive oil, then roast for 15 mins.

Meanwhile, strip the remaining thyme leaves from their stalks. Mix the potatoes, thyme, garlic and remaining oil, then season. Put potatoes around the bird, then return to the oven for 45 mins. Stir the mushrooms into the potatoes along with the chestnuts. Roast for a further 15 mins until mushrooms are cooked. Spoon vegetables onto a warm platter. Nestle the cooked bird back among veg. Keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

Boil the pan juices on the hob, add the wine, stock and jelly, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the jelly. Boil hard until the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary, then pour into a jug and pass round for everyone to help themselves.