Chef Graziella
Cotoletta di Pollo alla Milanese
The golden cutlet of Lombardy, where chicken is pounded thin, coated in the finest crumbs, and fried in butter until it shatters at the touch of a fork. Lemon is the only adornment it needs.
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Faraona Arrosto con Pancetta e Salvia
Created by
The noble guinea fowl of Tuscan farmhouses, wrapped in pancetta, perfumed with sage, roasted until the skin shatters and the meat stays moist. This is what Italians bring to the table when ordinary poultry will not serve.
Main Dishes
Italian, Tuscan
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Holiday
30 min
Active Time
1 hr 15 min cook•1 hr 45 min total
Yield4 servings
Guinea fowl is not chicken. Americans confuse the two because they have never tasted faraona properly roasted. The meat is darker, leaner, more intense. It tastes of something. Chicken, especially the industrial kind, tastes of nothing at all.
Tuscan farmwives have roasted faraona for centuries. The bird forages in the barnyard, eating insects and seeds, developing flavor that factory birds cannot possess. Wrapping it in pancetta solves the one problem of lean meat: it bastes the breast as it roasts, the fat rendering slowly, the salt seasoning from without while the sage perfumes from within.
This is not complicated cooking. It is honest cooking. You put sage inside the cavity because that is what grows in Tuscan gardens. You wrap the breast in pancetta because the bird needs fat it does not carry. You roast it until the skin crackles and the juices run clear. There is no mystery here, only attention.
What you keep out matters. No elaborate stuffings. No cream sauces. No fruits or glazes or anything that distracts from the bird itself. The pancetta provides salt and richness. The sage provides perfume. The high heat provides crackling skin. That is enough. That has always been enough.
Guinea fowl arrived in Italy from Africa during Roman times, brought by traders crossing the Mediterranean. The Tuscans embraced faraona as a feast bird centuries before the turkey arrived from the Americas. In the hill towns around Florence and Siena, roasted guinea fowl remains the centerpiece of celebrations when families gather and ordinary chicken would be an insult to the occasion.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
guinea fowl
Quantity
1 (about 3 pounds)
giblets removed
fresh sage leaves
Quantity
12, plus 2 sprigs
pancetta
Quantity
4 ounces
sliced thin (about 8 slices)
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
peeled and lightly crushed
fresh rosemary
Quantity
1 sprig
dry white wine
Quantity
1/2 cup
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| guinea fowlgiblets removed | 1 (about 3 pounds) |
| fresh sage leaves | 12, plus 2 sprigs |
| pancettasliced thin (about 8 slices) | 4 ounces |
| extra virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| garlic clovespeeled and lightly crushed | 4 |
| fresh rosemary | 1 sprig |
| dry white wine | 1/2 cup |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy roasting pan or 12-inch oven-safe skillet
- •Kitchen twine
- •Instant-read thermometer
- •Cutting board for resting and carving
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the bird
Remove the guinea fowl from the refrigerator one hour before roasting. A cold bird roasts unevenly. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels, inside and out. Moisture is the enemy of crisp skin. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.
- 2
Stuff with aromatics
Place 8 sage leaves, the 2 sage sprigs, 2 of the crushed garlic cloves, and the rosemary sprig inside the cavity. These will perfume the meat from within as the bird roasts. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and tie the legs together loosely with kitchen twine. The bird should hold a compact shape.
Do not pack the cavity tightly. Air must circulate for even cooking. The aromatics are there for perfume, not for eating. - 3
Season and wrap
Rub the entire exterior of the bird with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, rubbing it into the skin. Lay the remaining 4 sage leaves across the breast. Drape the pancetta slices over the breast and thighs, overlapping them slightly. The pancetta should cover the breast completely. It will shrink as it renders.
- 4
Prepare the roasting pan
Heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a roasting pan or heavy oven-safe skillet. Scatter the remaining 2 crushed garlic cloves in the pan. Set the prepared guinea fowl breast-side up in the pan.
- 5
Roast at high heat
Roast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. The pancetta will begin to render and the skin beneath will start to color. The kitchen will smell of sage and roasting meat. This is correct.
Do not open the oven door to check during the first 30 minutes. You lose heat each time. Trust the process. - 6
Reduce heat and continue
Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue roasting for 35 to 45 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The pancetta should be golden and crisp at the edges. The juices that collect in the pan will be deeply colored.
- 7
Rest the bird
Transfer the guinea fowl to a cutting board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes. This is not optional. The juices must redistribute. A bird carved immediately will bleed onto the board and the meat will be dry. Patience now is rewarded at the table.
- 8
Make the pan sauce
While the bird rests, place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes. The sauce will be thin but intensely flavored. Taste and adjust salt. Strain if you wish, or leave the garlic. Either is correct.
- 9
Carve and serve
Remove the twine. Carve the guinea fowl as you would a chicken: remove the legs at the joint, separate thigh from drumstick, slice the breast meat. Arrange on a warm platter with the crispy pancetta distributed among the pieces. Spoon the pan juices over all. Serve immediately. Once carved, do not make your guests wait.
Chef Tips
- •Guinea fowl can be found at specialty butchers, farmers markets, and some better supermarkets. If unavailable, a small free-range chicken may substitute, though the flavor will be milder. Reduce cooking time by 10 minutes for chicken.
- •The pancetta must be sliced thin, not diced. Thick slabs will not render properly and will remain chewy. Ask your butcher to slice it, or buy it pre-sliced from a good Italian market.
- •If the pancetta browns too quickly before the bird is cooked through, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the breast. Remove it for the final 10 minutes to crisp.
- •Save the carcass. Guinea fowl makes exceptional broth, darker and more flavorful than chicken. Simmer with an onion, carrot, celery, and water for two hours.
Advance Preparation
- •The guinea fowl can be prepared through the seasoning and wrapping step up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate uncovered on a rack, which will further dry the skin for crispness. Bring to room temperature for one hour before roasting.
- •The pan sauce cannot be made ahead but takes only minutes while the bird rests. Do not skip this step.
- •Leftover roasted guinea fowl, stored properly, keeps 3 days refrigerated. The meat is excellent cold in salads or reheated gently in the pan sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 250g)
Calories
510 calories
Total Fat
31 g
Saturated Fat
8 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
21 g
Cholesterol
195 mg
Sodium
980 mg
Total Carbohydrates
2 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
54 g
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