Faraona ai Funghi PorciniGuinea Fowl with Porcini

Rehydrate the porcini and clarify their soaking liquid

• 1 Put 40 g dried porcini in a bowl and soak in 400 ml water at about 40°C for 30 minutes.
• 2 Lightly squeeze the rehydrated mushrooms, remove hard parts and cut into bite-size pieces.
• 3 Strain the soaking liquid into another bowl through a fine tea strainer lined with paper towel, leaving behind the settled grit. Measure 200 ml strained liquid; do not use the remainder.

Joint and salt the guinea fowl

• 1 Thoroughly pat dry the surface and cavity of the 1.2 kg guinea fowl with paper towels.
• 2 Cut into the bases of the hip joints, dislocate them and separate the 2 legs.
• 3 Separate the 2 wings at their shoulder joints; cut off the wing tips at the joints and add them to the backbone pieces.
• 4 Cut along both sides of the breastbone to separate 2 bone-in breast portions; if large, halve each 1 portion.
• 5 Cut the remaining backbone and neck into 3 pieces, making 8–10 pieces overall.
• 6 Season all surfaces and cut bone faces evenly with 6 g salt and 1 g black pepper, arrange on a tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Cut the aromatics and warm the broth

• 1 Finely dice 80 g onion, 50 g carrot and 40 g string-trimmed celery into 5 mm pieces.
• 2 Lightly crush 2 unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat of a knife; similarly crack 5 juniper berries. Put the crushed berries in an infusion bag and tie closed.
• 3 Cut 60 g pancetta into batons with a 5 mm square cross-section.
• 4 Wash and dry 2 rosemary sprigs and 6 sage leaves.
• 5 Put 400 ml meat broth, Italian meat stock, in a small saucepan and warm over low heat to about 60°C; keep warm.

Flour the meat and sear its skin

• 1 Lightly blot any moisture from the meat, dust all pieces thinly with 15 g cake flour and tap off the excess by hand.
• 2 Heat 30 ml olive oil in a terracotta pot, or a heavy cast-iron pot if unavailable, over medium heat until the surface shimmers.
• 3 Arrange legs, wings and backbone skin-side down without overlap and sear undisturbed for 4–5 minutes.
• 4 Once well browned, turn and sear the bone side for 2 minutes, then remove to a tray.
• 5 Next add the breasts skin-side down for 3 minutes, turn and cook for 1 minute, then remove.

Flavor the pancetta and vegetable soffritto with herbs

• 1 Keep the oil in the same pot, lower to medium-low and fry the 60 g pancetta, salt-cured pork belly in 5 mm-square batons, for 3–4 minutes to render the fat.
• 2 Add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, scraping the base with a wooden spoon.
• 3 Add the 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 rosemary sprigs and 6 sage leaves and sauté over low heat for 1 minute.
• 4 Add 10 g tomato paste and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Deglaze with white wine

• 1 Add half the rehydrated porcini and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute.
• 2 Pour in 150 ml white wine and boil over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes.
• 3 While boiling, scrape the browned base with a wooden spoon to dissolve it into the liquid.

Braise the legs and wings first

• 1 Return the legs, wings and backbone to the pot skin-side up, adding any juices from the tray.
• 2 Add 200 ml mushroom soaking liquid, 250 ml warm broth and the juniper bag.
• 3 Keep on low heat with the liquid barely trembling and cook with the lid slightly ajar for 35 minutes.
• 4 After 15 minutes, turn the meat once, then restore it skin-side up.
• 5 During the check, spoon off excess surface fat.

Add the breasts and remaining porcini

• 1 Set the breasts skin-side up, half submerged in the liquid.
• 2 Add the remaining rehydrated porcini and 150 ml broth.
• 3 Simmer over low heat with the lid ajar for 18–20 minutes.
• 4 After 10 minutes, spoon liquid over the breasts. After cooking, verify with a thermometer that the centers of breasts and legs have reached at least 75°C for at least 1 minute.

Reduce the sauce and finish with butter

• 1 Meanwhile(While reducing the liquid) warm 4 serving plates and roughly chop 5 g parsley.
• 2 Remove the edible meat portions and porcini and cover with foil. Discard the neck, backbone and wing tips used to make the stock.
• 3 Remove the rosemary, sage, garlic skins and juniper bag.
• 4 Reduce the liquid over medium heat for 6–8 minutes to about 200 ml.
• 5 Season with 3 g salt and 1 g black pepper.
• 6 Turn off the heat and add 20 g cold butter cut into 1.5 cm cubes in 3 additions, swirling and shaking the pot to melt it in.

Plate mixed cuts and finish with sauce and parsley

• 1 Divide the different cuts as evenly as possible among the 4 warm plates and add porcini alongside.
• 2 Divide all the sauce evenly over the meat.
• 3 Divide the 15 ml finishing olive oil among the 4 plates and scatter with the 5 g chopped parsley.