Slow Roasted Guinea Hen, Eggplant Salad and Delicata Squash
By Andrew Zimmern
I love showcasing the versatility of guinea hen, an often-overlooked game bird that offers richer flavor than commercial poultry. In this episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I start by making a guinea hen and watercress salad — perfectly grilled breast meat atop a blend of bitter greens and fennel, all unified by a French mustard-hazelnut vinaigrette that strikes the ideal balance between richness and acidity. Then, I’m going all out for drama, creating a ring fire in my grill to slow-roast a whole guinea hen on a vertical roaster. The bird is seasoned with Middle Eastern spices and accompanied by harissa-coated delicata squash and a silky eggplant and tahini purée.
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Slow Roasted Guinea Hen
Ingredients
Guinea Hen
- 4 quarts water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 guinea hen, about 3 to 4 pounds
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground clove
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped
- Parsley
- Mostarda or cranberry sauce, for serving
- Delicata squash, for serving
- Eggplant salad, for serving
Instructions
In a large bowl or pot, combine water, salt, sugar and peppercorns. Whisk to dissolve. Add the guinea hen and brine in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
Remove and pat dry.
Next, make the rub. Whisk the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove, salt and thyme. Coat the hen with olive oil. Rub the hen all over with the rub.
Prepare a ring fire in your grill or firepit, leaving an empty space in the middle to roast the guinea hen.
Place the guinea hen on a vertical roaster set on a half sheet tray. Carefully place it in the middle of the ring fire. Place an oven thermometer on the sheet tray to help you gage the temperature, you want it to read about 450 degrees F. As the hen cooks, the fire will die down and slow roast the bird, you want to maintain the temperature around 350 degrees F.
Using a blender or immersion wand, puree the olive oil, garlic and shallots. Utilize this mixture to baste the hen every ten minutes using a long silicone bbq brush. The bird is done when the internal temperature of the dark quarters is 160 degrees F, this should take 40 to 50 minutes.
Carve the hen. Serve the sliced hen, with the grilled delicata squash and eggplant salad. I love to serve this with mostarda, cranberry sauce, or any sweet and sour fruit conserve.
Note: You can also roast the hen in the oven. Brine it, season it and place in a 400 degree F, and roast until the internal temperature of the dark quarters is 160 degrees F, about 40 minutes to 50 minutes.
Delicata Squash with Harissa
- 2 large delicata squash
- Oil
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Slice the squash in half vertically. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Cut each half into 3/4-inch strips lengthwise. Brush with salt, oil and harissa paste. Place over a medium hot grill skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook until tender. Remove to a plate and drizzle with lemon juice.
Eggplant Salad
- 4 globe eggplants
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
Roast the eggplants over direct heat until the interior is soft and skin is charred. Cool slightly for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the parsley, tahini and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
Peel the skin off the eggplant. Add the eggplant meat, coarsely chopped, to the tahini mix. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and more lemon juice if need be.
