Oven-baked guinea fowl

Preheat the oven at 180ºC. Cut the lemon into 4 pieces. Stuff the guinea fowl with lemon, bayleaf and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the guinea fowl on medium heat on each side. Turn the heat low and add butter. Allow the guinea fowl to bake golden brown. Baste regularly (sprinkle with the baking juice). Place the guinea fowl in a large platter and pour the baking juice over it. Keep the frying pan (do not clean it). Place the guinea fowl in the oven and baste regularly. Take the platter out of the oven after 45 minutes. The guinea fowl is well cooked when no red juice comes out. Pour the baking juice back into the frying pan. Leave the guinea fowl wrapped in aluminium foil to rest. Keep the oven on at 180ºC.

Cut the bacon into small slices and pan fry softly in the baking juice of the fowls. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut into 4 pieces. Loosen the leaves and remove the hards parts. Bake the leaves with the bacon and place in the oven under a lid for 15 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 100ºC. Put the cabbage, bacon and fowl on a plate and sprinkle with the baking juices. Leave for another 5 minutes in the oven. Cut the fowl at the table.