Guinea fowl with pancetta

Guinea fowl with pancetta is a richly flavored dish that combines the delicate meat of the guinea fowl with the intense taste of pancetta. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 whole guinea fowl (about 1.2 - 1.5 kg)
• 150 g of pancetta, cut into strips or cubes
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Sage to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Clean and wash the guinea fowl, then pat it dry with kitchen paper.
3. Rub the inside and outside of the guinea fowl with salt and black pepper.
4. Place a sprig of rosemary and some sage leaves inside it to flavor.
5. In a pan, sauté the pancetta until it becomes crispy. Then place the sautéed pancetta strips or cubes inside and outside the guinea fowl.
6. In an ovenproof dish, create a bed with the remaining herbs and the garlic cloves.
7. Lay the guinea fowl in the dish and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and the glass of white wine.
8. Cook the guinea fowl in the oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, basting it occasionally with its cooking juices.
9. Check the doneness by piercing the thickest part of the meat with a skewer; if a clear liquid comes out, the guinea fowl is cooked.
10. Remove the guinea fowl from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before cutting.

Curiosity

The guinea fowl is a bird rich in history and tradition, very popular in Tuscan cuisine and other Italian regions. Its meat is lean and delicate but at the same time flavorful, which makes it ideal for cooking with strong and characteristic ingredients like pancetta.

To accompany this rich and flavorful dish, I would recommend a structured red wine, perhaps a Chianti Classico, which with its full-bodiedness and complexity can balance the intense taste of the pancetta and the delicacy of the guinea fowl.