Pot-roasted guinea fowl with wild mushrooms, chestnuts and truffled creamed potato

Ingredients

For the thyme bread dough to seal pot:
500g/1lb 2oz bread flour
55ml/2fl oz olive oil
30g/1oz yeast
pinch of salt and sugar
250m/9fl oz water
bunch thyme, ripped
For the pot roast:
3 guinea fowls
6 button mushrooms
3 shallots
splash sherry vinegar
splash Madeira
290ml/10fl oz brown chicken stock
55g/2oz butter
18 chestnuts, peeled
For the wild mushroom emulsion:
500g/1lb 2oz cèpes
140g/5oz chanterelles
140g/5oz trompette de la mort
brunoise of 4 shallots
fresh parsley, chopped
For the creamed potato:
800g/1¾lb large potatoes
110g/4oz cold butter, diced
190ml/6½fl oz milk
salt
drop of truffle oil
small black truffle (optional)

Method

1. Make the thyme bread dough: mix all the dry ingredients, including the yeast and make a well in the middle. Slowly add the water and oil. Mix well by hand and knead for a few minutes, then place in fridge to rest.
2. Make the creamed potato: bake the potatoes on some salt in the oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 until completely cooked through. Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the middle then pass through a fine drum sieve. Slowly add butter and milk and finish with truffle oil and season to taste. Reserve in a warm place.
3. Make the pot roast: seal the guinea fowls with the chestnuts, ensuring you get good colour on the guinea fowl, then add the button mushrooms and shallots. Deglaze with sherry vinegar and Madeira. Add the brown chicken stock, bring to boil and remove from heat. Place a lid on the top of pot ensuring a snug fit.
4. Roll out the bread dough to a long sausage. Line the lip of the pot securing the lid to the pot. Dust with a little flour and rock salt, prove for 10 minutes, then bake in a preheated oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. In a separate pan roast off the mushrooms, starting with the cèpes and shallots, then the chanterelles, season well and add the (strained) juice from the pot roast and emulsify with butter. Finish with chopped parsley. Sauté the trompettes separately and keep warm for garnish.
6. To serve: place a large quenelle of the creamed potato on the side of the plate with the guinea fowl (one breast, one thigh per portion), then sauce with the mushroom emulsion, garnish with trompettes and chestnuts and a few slices of truffle (optional). In the middle of the table place the torn reheated thyme bread dough to soak up the juices.