This cheffy, spring-y recipe is a wild, seasonal food lover’s delight. Multiply the quantities by the number of guests for a dinner party to impress.
For the guinea fowl, preheat the grill to high. Remove the skin from the guinea fowl breast. Set aside the guinea fowl breast.
For the brioche crumb, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Place the guinea fowl skin flat onto a non-stick baking tray and place another tray on top (this is to cook the skin evenly).
Put the trays into the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the oven and take the skin off the tray to cool.
When the skin is cool, thoroughly chop the skin to get a rough crumb.
Place into a bowl with the brioche crumbs and toasted sunflower seeds. Lightly season with a little salt.
For the guinea fowl, place the guinea fowl breast between two sheets of cling film and bat the breast with a heavy knife to even the thickness – try to retain the shape.
Preheat the grill to hot. Lightly season the guinea fowl breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cook under the grill for five minutes, or until the breast is just cooked.
Once cooked, evenly coat the top of the guinea fowl with the brioche crumb and place back under the grill for 1-2 minutes, or until the brioche crumb is lightly golden-brown.
For the sorrel sauce, heat the chicken consommé or stock in a pan. Remove from the stove and blend in the soft herb purée, butter and crème fraîche using a hand-blender, until thoroughly dissolved. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary. Add the shredded wild sorrel.
For the St George mushrooms, heat the oil in a small pan and fry the shallot until softened but without colour.
Add the mushrooms and garlic and season with a pinch of salt
Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from the pan, check the seasoning, and add salt or pepper if necessary, and finish with the snipped chives.
For the asparagus, bend each stick of asparagus near the end. They will break naturally where the spear is no longer tough. For an elegant presentation, evenly shave the end of each stick of asparagus to make a spear.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and season with salt and sugar
Place the asparagus into the water and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the asparagus is just cooked. You should be able to just slip a small knife through the stem.
Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, brush with the melted butter and season with a little salt.
To serve, cut the guinea fowl breast in half diagonally. Place in the centre of the plate slightly overlapping the two pieces (which gives the dish a bit of height)
Arrange the mushrooms and asparagus tips around the breast. Drizzle the sauce around delicately and, sprinkle the shredded sorrel over the vegetables. Arrange the red vein sorrel on top and serve.
