Guinea Fowl Pie

You need the legs, thighs and breasts of the birds with the skin on and bone in. The rest of the carcasses can go to make a lovely stock.

Place the joints in the a shallow dish and pour half the olive oil over them and leave in the fridge overnight. Bring the meat back to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brown the guinea fowl thoroughly on both sides until golden brown. Saute the onions in the pan with the juices from the meat. When the onions are soft and starting to colour, add the sherry to deglaze the pan and remove from the heat.

Line the bottom of a roasting dish with half the thyme and half the marjoram. Place the pieces of guinea fowl on this, making sure not to overlap the pieces. Season with salt and pepper and cover with the remaining herbs. Pour the remaining olive oil, the onions and sherry, and the wine over the meat. Cover with a lid or tin foil and place in the oven to braise for up to 2 hours.

When the guinea fowl is cooked and tender, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Here comes the messy bit: remove all the bones, especially the fine ones, from the flesh. Place the filling in an oven-proof dish and cover with a pastry lid and bake at 180°C until the pastry is golden brown.