Roasted Guinea Fowl with Chicory, Fennel and Orange

It's always nice to have a little change from a roast chicken, and guinea fowl is the closest variation. It's the same-sized bird, so cooks in the same amount of time, but it has a meatier flavour than chicken and slightly darker meat. It's best to remove the legs and wings from the crown so it cooks quicker and is really delicious with rustic roasted vegetables plus a few herbs and spices.

1 guinea fowl
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into thin slices
3-4 heads of chicory, halved lengthways
4 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2 large oranges
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5).

Remove the legs from the guinea fowl by pulling them away from the carcass and cutting the skin that holds the legs to the body. Pull each leg back on itself and it should pop out of the carcass. Use your knife to cut away completely. Remove the wings also if you wish.

Mix the fennel and chicory with the carrots in a big bowl and grate in the zest of both the oranges. Pour over the maple syrup, add the fennel seeds and thyme and stir everything together thoroughly to coat.

Line a roasting tray with greaseproof paper and scatter over the vegetables. Lay the pieces of guinea fowl on top, drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Cut the oranges in half and put these into the tray as well. They get very juicy as they heat up and will be the dressing for the guinea fowl. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes until everything is cooked through, and the guinea fowl has nice crispy skin.

Remove and allow to rest while you squeeze the oranges over the vegetables and the cooked bird. Carve the crown and serve in pieces and separate the drumstick from the thighs so everyone gets a bit of leg and a bit of breast.

Makes 4 servings.