A Sunny Sunday Lunch

     It isn’t often there is just the two of us for lunch of a Sunday, but our offspring had offers for this weekend and so we were dining ‘á deux’. I had spotted Guinea fowl in the English Market in Cork a while back. They didn’t look to be very big, at just under a kilo each, one would be about right for two to three people. The prefect treat for just the two of us. 

   The woods are beginning to explode with spring flowers including anomies, ramsoms, lesser celandine, dog violet and the first of the bluebells. Ramsoms are the native wild garlic, they have broad leaves tapering to a point and the white flower heads look like a ball of starry flowers. I picked a bunch of the leaves to use in a pot of mashed potato.

    Best of all it was a beautiful day today and the sun shone while we ate lunch outside. Hopefully the first of many al fresco meals this year.

Our sunny Sunday lunch!

Pot Roast Guinea Fowl

a small carrot

½ a celery stick

1 shallot

2 cloves of garlic

a lump of butter

1 bay leaf

2-3 smoked streaky rashers

1 Guinea fowl about 1kg

small bunch of tarragon

100ml white wine

Heat up the oven to 200˚C, GM6

Finely chop the carrot, celery, shallot and the garlic and put them into the bottom of a casserole with the lump of butter. Put the casserole onto a medium heat to heat up.

Put the tarragon into the cavity of the guinea fowl and place the streaky rashers over the breast.

Put the bay leaf into the casserole with the vegetables and put the guinea fowl on top, pour over the wine and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and bake in the hot oven for an hour.

After 45 minutes remove the lid and put back into the oven until the guinea fowl is nicely browned. Add some water to the casserole if all the wine has evaporated. When the guinea fowl is cooked put it onto a plate to rest, while you make the gravy.

Add some water to the casserole and stir up the bits from the bottom. Slake half a teaspoonful of arrowroot or corn flour in a couple spoonfuls of water and add to the liquid in the casserole. Place the casserole on a medium heat and bring the contents to the boil, while stirring all the time. When the liquid has come to the boil and thickened simmer it for about two minutes and then strain it in to a gravy boat.

Carve the guinea fowl and serve with the gravy, mashed spuds and a vegetable or two.

Ramsoms or wild garlic in flower.

Wild Garlic Mash

4 medium potatoes

Bunch of wild garlic about 100g

50g butter

75ml milk

salt & pepper

Peel the potatoes and put them to steam.

Wash the garlic leaves in salty water and spin in a salad spinner.

Chop the garlic leaves. Put the butter into a saucepan over a low heat and add the chopped garlic leaves, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Put the lid on the pot and leave for three minutes.

Put the milk into a small pot and bring to the boil.

When the garlic leaves are soft and cooked add the potatoes and hot milk and mash thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper and serve.