Guinea Fowl de Bresse

5.0

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars

2 Reviews

£45.00

Frozen 1.5kg Frozen 1.7kg

Variant

France Slow-grown, cereal-fed, no GMOs

A whole guinea fowl from the Bresse region of eastern France, slow-grown with time outdoors. The meat is lean and firm, with a light gamey note that sits between chicken and game bird. Prepared and trussed in-house by FINE & WILD. Blast frozen, oven-ready.

Guinea Fowl de Bresse

£45.00

A whole guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) from the Bresse region of eastern France. Guinea fowl sits between chicken and game. The meat is darker and fuller in flavour than chicken, with a light gamey note and a firmer, leaner texture, but it is much milder than pheasant or grouse.

Bresse lies between the Saône and the Jura and has raised poultry for centuries. It is best known for its chickens, and its guinea fowl come from the same small farms and the same way of rearing. The birds are slow-grown and spend time outdoors, and they develop firm, well-formed meat with real depth of flavour.

Guinea fowl is lean, so it needs some care in the oven. The breast dries out if overcooked. Butter under the skin, a layer of bacon over the breast, or regular basting will all help. The legs are firmer and suit longer, slower cooking. If you want the best of both, roast the crown and braise the legs separately.

Each bird is prepared and trussed in-house by FINE & WILD on the day it arrives from France. It is then blast frozen to −30°C and arrives oven-ready.

Producer: Farms in the Bresse region, France. Prepared and trussed in-house by FINE & WILD.

Storage: Store frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24–36 hours before cooking. Once defrosted, use within 2 days. Do not refreeze.

Remove the guinea fowl from the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator for 24–36 hours — the bird is slightly denser than a standard chicken and needs a full day to defrost completely. Once thawed, remove from the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking. Pat the skin thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.

Guinea fowl is lean, and the breast will dry out before the legs are done if you are not careful. The simplest protection is to place a generous knob of softened butter mixed with salt and herbs (thyme, tarragon, or rosemary all work well) under the skin of the breast before roasting. Alternatively, lay strips of streaky bacon or pancetta over the breast.

For a whole roast, preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Season the bird generously with salt and pepper, rub the outside with olive oil or softened butter, and place breast-side up in a roasting tin. Roast for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes, basting every 20 minutes with the pan juices. The bird is done when the juices run clear from the thigh and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C. If the breast is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the final 20 minutes.

Rest the bird for at least 15–20 minutes before carving. This is not optional — guinea fowl tightens if carved too soon.

For a two-stage approach, remove the legs and roast or braise them separately, then cook the crown at a higher temperature (200°C) for a shorter time — around 25–30 minutes. This gives you a juicier breast and fully cooked legs without compromise.

Guinea fowl pairs naturally with autumnal and earthy flavours: wild mushrooms, chestnuts, lentils, root vegetables, and robust herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary. It is excellent with bacon, shallots, and a red wine or Madeira sauce, and also takes well to gentler treatments — roasted with lemon, garlic, and a glass of white wine in the pan.

Order cut-off and delivery dates

Orders placed before 2pm, Monday to Friday, are dispatched the same day, unless you choose a later delivery date on the basket page.

How we send it

We ship with express couriers, usually DPD or DHL, in insulated packaging that holds temperature through the network. Occasional delays happen, and everything is packed to stay in good condition if transit is longer than planned.

Time-sensitive and event orders

We can't guarantee arrival on a given day — the couriers set their own schedules. Everything leaves us in good condition with good use-by dates, but the final timing is theirs.

If your order is for an event, please tell us in the notes at checkout. We can often send it a day earlier to give it the best chance of arriving in time.

Changes after dispatch

Once your parcel is with the courier we can't redirect it or change the delivery details.

Saturday delivery

Saturday delivery is available. Our office is closed at weekends and the couriers have no phone support then, so if your order must arrive on a particular day, a weekday delivery gives us more room to help should anything go wrong.

Full delivery details and shipping rates

Description

A whole guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) from the Bresse region of eastern France. Guinea fowl sits between chicken and game. The meat is darker and fuller in flavour than chicken, with a light gamey note and a firmer, leaner texture, but it is much milder than pheasant or grouse.

Bresse lies between the Saône and the Jura and has raised poultry for centuries. It is best known for its chickens, and its guinea fowl come from the same small farms and the same way of rearing. The birds are slow-grown and spend time outdoors, and they develop firm, well-formed meat with real depth of flavour.

Guinea fowl is lean, so it needs some care in the oven. The breast dries out if overcooked. Butter under the skin, a layer of bacon over the breast, or regular basting will all help. The legs are firmer and suit longer, slower cooking. If you want the best of both, roast the crown and braise the legs separately.

Each bird is prepared and trussed in-house by FINE & WILD on the day it arrives from France. It is then blast frozen to −30°C and arrives oven-ready.

Producer: Farms in the Bresse region, France. Prepared and trussed in-house by FINE & WILD.

Storage: Store frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24–36 hours before cooking. Once defrosted, use within 2 days. Do not refreeze.

Preparation / Cooking

Remove the guinea fowl from the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator for 24–36 hours — the bird is slightly denser than a standard chicken and needs a full day to defrost completely. Once thawed, remove from the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking. Pat the skin thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.

Guinea fowl is lean, and the breast will dry out before the legs are done if you are not careful. The simplest protection is to place a generous knob of softened butter mixed with salt and herbs (thyme, tarragon, or rosemary all work well) under the skin of the breast before roasting. Alternatively, lay strips of streaky bacon or pancetta over the breast.

For a whole roast, preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Season the bird generously with salt and pepper, rub the outside with olive oil or softened butter, and place breast-side up in a roasting tin. Roast for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes, basting every 20 minutes with the pan juices. The bird is done when the juices run clear from the thigh and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C. If the breast is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the final 20 minutes.

Rest the bird for at least 15–20 minutes before carving. This is not optional — guinea fowl tightens if carved too soon.

For a two-stage approach, remove the legs and roast or braise them separately, then cook the crown at a higher temperature (200°C) for a shorter time — around 25–30 minutes. This gives you a juicier breast and fully cooked legs without compromise.

Guinea fowl pairs naturally with autumnal and earthy flavours: wild mushrooms, chestnuts, lentils, root vegetables, and robust herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary. It is excellent with bacon, shallots, and a red wine or Madeira sauce, and also takes well to gentler treatments — roasted with lemon, garlic, and a glass of white wine in the pan.

Delivery

Order cut-off and delivery dates

Orders placed before 2pm, Monday to Friday, are dispatched the same day, unless you choose a later delivery date on the basket page.

How we send it

We ship with express couriers, usually DPD or DHL, in insulated packaging that holds temperature through the network. Occasional delays happen, and everything is packed to stay in good condition if transit is longer than planned.

Time-sensitive and event orders

We can't guarantee arrival on a given day — the couriers set their own schedules. Everything leaves us in good condition with good use-by dates, but the final timing is theirs.

If your order is for an event, please tell us in the notes at checkout. We can often send it a day earlier to give it the best chance of arriving in time.

Changes after dispatch

Once your parcel is with the courier we can't redirect it or change the delivery details.

Saturday delivery

Saturday delivery is available. Our office is closed at weekends and the couriers have no phone support then, so if your order must arrive on a particular day, a weekday delivery gives us more room to help should anything go wrong.

Full delivery details and shipping rates

5.0

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars

Based on 2 reviews

2 reviews

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Ulrike G.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
9 months ago
5 Stars
Absolutely delicious. Tender and moist.
Looking forward to eating my quails. I will be back many times.
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micheal c.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
1 year ago
5 Stars
Great tasting bird. Very good for at least 4 people.
Was this helpful?