Guinea hen, also known as African
pheasant, has long been the staple of European dinner tables. Demand for guinea
hen is growing from chefs to discriminating home cooks. While breeding stock is
imported annually from France, a growing number of guinea hen are farm raised in
the U.S.A. They are raised without hormones on a diet of corn, soy, and wheat
and are harvested at 10-12 weeks.
Guinea Hen is succulent with light-colored breast meat that has more flavor and
character than chicken. Is the only game bird available with 50/50 meat to bone
ratio and 50% less fat than chicken. Even though the leg meat is dark, it is
tender and exceptionally rich and flavorsome.
The helmeted guinea hen has been raised for food since the fourth century B.C.
They are native to Africa and thought to have originated in Guinea in western
Africa. These birds were once enjoyed by early Greeks and Egyptians, then by
Romans who gave them the name gallina faraona or ‘Pharaoh’s hen’. When the Roman
Empire collapsed, the birds fell out of favor.
When the Portuguese conquered Guinea in the sixteenth century, the traders
‘discovered’ the bird with the uniquely colored feathers and called them pintada
meaning painted. By the time they were brought to France the name had been
corrupted to pintade.
The names faraona, pintada and pintade are still in use today. But by any name,
guinea hen refers to both the male and female of the species. They are about the
size of chickens but, because guineas have never been fully domesticated, the
meat is a little darker and actually more flavorful. Guinea hen also have far
less fat so they are best cooked with a moist-heat method and/or well basted to
maintain their juicy sweetness. The ‘Pearl Chicken’ is the variety of helmeted
guinea hen most often raised in the U.S. today and reaches a roasting size of 3
pounds in as little as 10 weeks.
Guinea hen are frozen individually to ensure consistent flavor, quality and
freshness. To use, simply place the frozen hen, while still in the package, into
the refrigerator overnight to thaw slowly. They should be cooked to an internal
temperature of 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the hen from the heat
source. Place the hen on a warm plate or platter, cover with foil to keep warm
and let it rest for five minutes. The carry-over cooking will finish it to the
appropriate temperature of 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for serving.
The internal temperature of meat continues to rise even after it has been
removed from the heat source. This is because the outside of the meat is hotter
than the inside. This heat continues to be conducted into the meat until the
temperature is equalized throughout. This process is known as carry-over
Remove the meat from the heat source (grill, broiler, oven) when the internal
temperature is still 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the appropriate
doneness to prevent overcooking. Place the meat on a warm plate or platter,
cover with foil to keep warm and let it rest for five minutes. The carry-over
cooking will finish it to the appropriate temperature for serving.