Pan-Roasted Guinea Fowl Breast with Silky Sweetcorn Velouté, Charred Corn and Black Truffle

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

A restaurant-plate dinner you can absolutely pull off at home: bronzed, butter-basted guinea fowl resting on a velvet-smooth sweetcorn velouté, scattered with smoky charred kernels and finished with a snowfall of black truffle. Sweet, savoury, earthy — and quietly show-off.

Per serving: 642 kcal · 45.0g protein · 34.0g carbs · 37.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 guinea fowl breasts, skin on (approx. 160g each)
• 6 corn cobs (or 600g frozen sweetcorn plus 2 cobs for charring)
• 1 banana shallot, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400ml chicken stock
• 150ml whole milk
• 100ml double cream
• 90g unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 small black truffle (10–15g), or 1 tbsp truffle paste
• 1 tsp truffle oil (optional, to finish)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
• Baby watercress or pea shoots, to garnish

Method

1. Strip the kernels from the cobs. Set aside 150g for charring; keep the stripped cobs.
2. Simmer the bare cobs in the chicken stock for 20 minutes to draw out sweetness, then discard the cobs. This is your corn stock.
3. Melt 20g butter in a saucepan, sweat the shallot and garlic with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes without colouring. Add the remaining kernels, cook 3 minutes, then pour in the corn stock and milk. Simmer 15 minutes until tender.
4. Blend the velouté until completely smooth, adding the cream, then pass through a fine sieve — twice if you want it truly silky. Season with salt, white pepper, the vinegar and sugar. Keep warm.
5. Take the guinea fowl out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat the skin bone dry and season generously. Heat a heavy ovenproof pan with the oil over medium heat and lay the breasts skin-side down. Press gently and cook 6–7 minutes until deep golden and the fat has rendered.
6. Turn the breasts, add 50g butter and the thyme, and baste continuously for 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a 190°C oven for 4 minutes, until the thickest part reads 63–65°C. Rest skin-side up for 8 minutes on a warm plate.
7. Meanwhile, get a dry frying pan smoking hot and char the reserved 150g kernels for 2–3 minutes until blistered and popping. Toss with the last 20g butter, the chives and a pinch of salt.
8. Foam the velouté with a stick blender. Pour a generous pool into warm bowls, spoon over the charred corn, and slice each rested breast in half on the diagonal or leave whole, skin crisp side up.
9. Shave the black truffle over everything at the table, add a few drops of truffle oil and the shoots, and serve immediately.