Rosemary and Armagnac Glazed Guinea Fowl

Preheat the oven to 240°C.

Reserving half of the armagnac, rub the guinea fowl quarters with 100 ml of armagnac. Generously salt and pepper both sides and place skin-side up in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck several sprigs of rosemary in and around the fowl. Roast for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 80°C.

While the fowl is roasting, prepare the glaze. Place the sugar and water in a small sauce pan, stir and bring to a boil until dissolved. Add the remaining armagnac and continue to reduce. Finely chop the reserved rosemary leaves and add with the bay leaf to the glaze. Cook for 3-5 minutes until reduced by half. Now, add the orange juice, a tablespoon at a time to taste, until you balance the sweetness. When the guinea fowl are cooked, remove from the oven and brush or pour the glaze over the pieces and return to the hot oven for 5 minutes.

Remove and transfer to a platter, or, as I did, serve over a bed of braised Savoy cabbage so that the tender cabbage absorbs any fragrant juices from the guinea fowl. Serves 4