Stuffed Guinea Fowl

Method

1. Season the guinea fowl inside and out with coarse salt and paprika.
2. Add a few sprigs of rosemary, wild fennel fronds, and two sage leaves.
3. Deglaze with a splash of wine and let it marinate briefly.
4. Place the birds in a baking dish with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
5. Add a piece of lardo and a piece of pork rind (remove the rind later).
6. In a separate pan, sear whole chicken livers with a little salt.
7. Add crumbled sausage, Taggiasche olives, and lemon zest.
8. Deglaze with another splash of wine and set aside.
9. Soak some bread in a mixture of cream and vegetable broth, season with salt.
10. Halve the fresh apricots and add them to the bread mixture along with walnuts.
11. Combine the liver-sausage mixture with the soaked bread and mix well.
12. Pour the pan juices from the baking dish into the stuffing and stir.
13. Stuff the guinea fowl cavities with the filling and secure with toothpicks.
14. Wrap each bird with slices of guanciale and tie with kitchen twine.
15. Roast at 250°C for 10 minutes, then lower to 170°C for another 20–30 minutes.
16. Remove from oven, discard the guanciale slices, and serve with the cooking juices and stuffing.