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Roast Guinea Hen with Bacon and Belgian Endive

Roast Guinea Hen with Bacon and Belgian Endive

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This is a terrific basic recipe for guinea hen. Cooking guinea hen is not like cooking squab; the idea is to cook it all the way through. Serves 2

SKU 748-Recipe

2 Serves

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Ingredients:

2 1/2-pound guinea hen
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices bacon
4 endives, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Place the oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse the hen inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry and rub with the salt and pepper. Lay the strips of bacon lengthwise over the breasts. Secure the bacon by loosely tying with pieces of string around the girth of the hen, as if it were wearing two belts.
Choose a roasting pan just large enough to hold the hen and the endive. Butter the bottom of the pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place the 8 endive halves around the edges of the pan, and then place the hen in the center. Break the remaining butter into little pieces and dot these pieces over the endive. Pour the chicken stock over the endive.
Roast the hen for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and baste it with any juices that have collected. Move the hen with a spatula to make sure that it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Flip the endives over so that they caramelize evenly. Roast the hen for another 20 minutes and baste again. Baste the endives as well. Roast another 20 to 30 minutes. (Test for doneness by piercing the thigh with the tip of a paring knife - the juices should run out clear. The endive should be tender when the stem end is pierced with a knife or fork.)
Untie the bacon strips and crumble coarsely, returning bacon to the roasting pan. Place roasted endives on a serving platter. Carve the bird and arrange the pieces on the endive. Degrease any juices left in the pan, and pour them, with or without the bacon, over the hen. Serve immediately.