Saturday, April 7, 2012

Spinning Poultry (Guinea Hen on the Rotisserie)

A while back, I braised one of the guinea hens I got from Marx Foods. That recipe is right here.

The other guinea hen looked sort of lonely, so I figured I'd better eat it before it made friends with the pork chops or it decided to eat the frozen pie cherries.

With the weather warming up (unseasonably) I decided to cook the bird outside. But not just on the grill. Oh, no. This little birdie had a spin on the rotisserie.

You've had rotisserie chicken, right? It seems so much moister that regular chicken, doesn't it? If you've ever watched a chicken cooking on a rotisserie, you might have noticed that way the juices sort of baste the bird as it spins around.

Since I'd heard that guinea hen could be dry, the rotisserie seemed to be a much better method of cooking rather than roasting the hen in the oven. So that's what I did.

Needless to say, if you don't have a guinea hen hanging around, you can certainly do this with a chicken.

Later in the year when my sage plant is growing well, I'd be more likely to stuff an onion and a fist full of sage into the bird. Rosemary would be great, too.

Guinea Hen on the Rotisserie

1 guinea hen (or a chicken)
Salt, pepper, and thyme, to taste
1/2 large lemon, cut in 4 pieces.

Stuff the lemon into the cavity of the guinea hen. Sprinkle the outside of the hen with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Put the hen on the spit and secure it. Put the spit on the rotisserie, turn on the heat, and let it spin.

Cook until the juices run clear and the temperature in the thickest part of the bird is 155-160 degrees. Remove the bird from the spit and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Devour.

The Verdict?

While this bird is still a lot like chicken, with this preparation, it was a bit different. I wouldn't call it a gamey flavor, but perhaps a richer flavor. Something just a little different. Maybe like 3/4 chicken and 1/4 duck. And it was nice and juicy, with a crisp skin.
Yum