Roasted Guinea Fowl with Chapelure de Legumes and Apple Cider Sauce

Chef Vitaly Paley | Imperial/Paley’s Place, Portland

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Oregon Wine Pairing: Bergström Pinot Noir

INGREDIENTS

2 small fennel bulbs

2 small onions

1 large celery root, peeled

2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and cored

2 small carrots, peeled

12 small red or fingerling potatoes, halved

1 large bulb garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves

* kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 guinea fowl, 2 pounds each

1 bunch thyme or winter savory

1 cup fresh apple cider

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Persillade (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 150°F.
2. To make vegetable flakes, set mandoline over large bowl. Slice 1 fennel bulb paper-thin. Then slice 1 onion, 1/2 celery root and 1 apple to same thickness. Switch to vegetable peeler, and working over same bowl, peel 1 carrot into thin ribbons. Mix vegetables and spread evenly on baking sheet. Place sheet in oven to dry vegetables until completely brittle, about 2½ hours. If you have an oven with a convection option, this will shorten drying time to 1 hour.
3. Transfer dried vegetables to work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade; pulse until reduced to flakes. Store, covered, at room temperature. This can be done 1 day ahead.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. Prepare the birds: Halve the remaining fennel, onion, carrot and celery root; Cut them again into several small wedges. Place in large baking dish along with potatoes and garlic. Generously season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and mix to coat.
6. Season guinea fowl with salt and pepper, inside and out. Stuff cavities with whole sprigs of thyme. Rub all over with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place birds on bed of vegetables. Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices.
7. Cut remaining apple into several wedges; add to roasting pan. Continue roasting and basting until skin turns golden brown, about 20 minutes.
8. Remove birds from oven; sprinkle generously with dried vegetable flakes, then continue to roast until juices run clear, another 10 minutes. Transfer birds and roasted vegetables to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest while preparing sauce.
9. To make sauce: Pour pan juices into small sauce pan. Skim and discard as much fat off top as possible. Over medium-low heat, deglaze roasting pan with cider and simmer for 5 minutes, scraping bottom of roasting pan to loosen browned bits. Add hot cider from roasting pan to small sauce pan of juices. Over high heat, reduce liquid by half. Stir in butter, season with salt and pepper, and pour into a sauce boat. Sprinkle birds and vegetables with persillade. Carve guinea fowl at table and serve with cider sauce.

PERSILLADE

* zest and juice of 1 lemon

⅓ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 large clove garlic, grated on microplane

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

* pinch kosher salt and freshly
 cracked black pepper

1. Combine zest, juice, parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.