Its juicy flesh with a marked taste, between game and poultry, brings a touch of originality to the plate. With its reduced format, it has everything to seduce: it allows you to eat locally, because all French consumption is produced in France, and to delight four guests, without waste. It also has unsuspected health benefits, as explained by Dr. Laurence Plumey, nutritionist at Antoine Béclère Hospital (Clamart) and author of the “Grand livre de l’alimentation” which has just been reissued by Eyrolles. .
Why do you recommend eating guinea fowl?
LAURENCE PLUMEY. This poultry is both high in protein – 30 to 35 g per 150 g serving – and low in fat. It is thus low in calories: 160 to 180 kcal per serving, roughly like fish or eggs. It contains just the amount of fat necessary to make its flesh tasty, but not too much to ensure a good nutritional balance. However, all the cuts do not have the same characteristics: the thighs, which are softer, contain more lipids (3 to 4 g/100 g) than the whites (0.7 to 1 g/100 g). Moreover, in guinea fowl, saturated fats which tend to promote cholesterol deposits in the arteries are very rare (less than 25%), in favor of omega-9, good fats recommended to prevent cardiovascular disorders. This meat has another rare quality: it provides a lot of zinc, an antioxidant mineral found mainly in fish and seafood. A portion of guinea fowl provides nearly 2.2 mg, that is say 25% of our daily needs. It also delivers group B vitamins that help transform food into energy and thus protect once morest fatigue.
Is its meat suitable for everyone?
It is actually compatible with slimming diets and those intended to manage excess bad cholesterol. It is also suitable for all ages. Well cooked and mixed, it is suitable for children from 7-8 months, at the rate of one teaspoon per day. For older children, the ration should be adapted to their age: 50 g at five years old, 100 g at ten years old, then 150 g from twelve years old, either a nice thigh or a whole breast. Guinea fowl is particularly indicated for women insofar as it contains very interesting quantities of iron, especially in the thighs: 2.5 mg per 100 g, a value higher than most other poultry. One in two women is iron deficient
How to choose it and cook it best?
A good guinea fowl has a fleshy carcass and orange-brown skin. Whole, its weight should be around 1.2 to 1.6 kg. In the kitchen, it lends itself to all cooking methods… provided that its flesh, which is poorer in water than that of other poultry, does not dry out. It is therefore better to cook it slowly and at a lower temperature than a chicken: between 150 and 180°C maximum if you want to roast it in the oven. But you can also braise it in a casserole or put it in a steamer. To be exquisite, guinea fowl must be eaten slightly pink.