BREAST OF GUINEA HEN w/PORCINI

By BobD

Ingredients

• 6 SERVINGS
• Serve over Yukon Gold mashed potatoes.
• • 3 guinea hen, 3 pounds each
• • 2 tablespoons olive oil or duck fat,
• • 1 quart veal stock, or 2 cups duck and veal demi-glace,
• • 1 bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried leaves, and several parsley stems, tied in cheesecloth
• • 1 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
• • 2 cups warm water
• • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• • 2 shallots, minced
• • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• • 1 cup dry white wine
• • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from dartagnan.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bone breast cutlets from each hen. You should have 6 breasts, about 6 ounces each. Remove all skin and fat from breasts. Remove legs from birds and reserve for another use. Chop carcass into ¾ inch pieces. Discard giblets or save for another use.

2. Heat olive oil or duck fat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped bones and cook until golden brown, turning to color all sides. Drain off all fat, then add1 cup of the veal stock and the bouquet garni to pan. Slowly reduce to a glaze. Do this until all stock is used, and 1 cup of glaze remains. (Alternatively, instead of roasting bones and reducing veal stock, use prepared demi-glace, add bouquet garni, and slowly reduce quantity by half). Strain and reserve essence. Recipe may be done 1 day ahead to this point and refrigerated.

3. Soak porcini in the 2 cups warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Lift mushrooms from water, then strain liquid through a fine strainer lined with paper towels, to remove dirt and sand. Reserve the liquid. Clean mushrooms and set aside.

4. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, and wine, and cook until reduced to a glaze. Pour in mushroom soaking liquid and over high heat, reduce by 2/3. stir in reserved guinea hen essence, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and continue to simmer for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Brush guinea hen breasts with butter and arrange in a 12-inch skillet (or 2 medium skillets). Cover, place over medium-low heat, and cook gently for 4 minutes per side. They should not color. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Remove breasts from skillet to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

6. Pour essence into skillet, and taste to adjust seasonings. Stir in parsley. Slice breasts across the grain, and arrange over mashed potatoes, if serving on 6 plates. Drizzle sauce and mushrooms over breasts, and serve.