A Taste of Africa/Dorinda Hafner 2002

Birds within Birds
Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Calories Saturated Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
8 to 10


INGREDIENTS:
TURKEY: 8 to 10 sprigs rosemary 6 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 large turkey CHICKEN: 4 tablespoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons hot paprika or chile powder (optional) 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium chicken QUAIL: 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons ground ginger salt
freshly ground black pepper 1 quail 1 saffron egg
POUSSIN: 6 prunes or dates, pitted 1-3/4 cups ginger wine, spicy mead, or similar 2 tablespoons cold water
1 poussin (baby chicken) ACCOMPANIMENTS: roasted potatoes, peeled or unpeeled baked sweet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
boiled long-grain rice turnips and parsnips, roasted with the meat steamed broccoli, carrots, spinach, or snow peas



1 It is advisable to prepare and marinate the birds for 12 to 24 hours before cooking for better taste. Also, if you have a big enough oven, try to cook 2 or 3 birds, covered, at once to save time. Cook the turkey first, as it takes the longest, then the chicken. The poussin and quail can cook together.
2 To prepare the turkey, rub the green spikes off the rosemary sprigs. Put these spikes in a bowl with the butter and garlic salt and blend well. Stuff the rosemary butter under as much of the turkey skin as possible. Rub the rest all over the outside and inside of the turkey. Cover and let stand for at least 12 hours. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325F/160C, cover with foil, and bake according to weight.
3 To prepare the chicken, combine the cumin, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and oil in a bowl and mix well. Coat the chicken inside and out with this marinade. Cover with foil and bake in a baking dish at 350F/180C for approximately 1 hour, or until cooked. Remove from the oven, keep covered, set aside, and keep warm.
4 To prepare the quail, combine the tomato paste and water to form a creamy mixture. Add the oil, ginger, salt and black pepper to season. Smear this marinade over and inside the quail. Pierce the quail with a sharp skewer so the marinade permeates the flesh. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Wrap the quail in foil and bake in an oven dish for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F/180C and bake for 20 minutes, or until the quail is tender. Remove from the oven, keep covered, set aside, and keep warm.
5 To prepare the poussin, soak the prunes in the ginger wine overnight. Mash them to form a paste. Add the water and stir well. Smear this all over the poussin, inside and out. Wrap it in foil and bake in the oven at 350F/180C for about 40 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the heat, keep covered, set aside, and keep warm.
6 Remove the turkey from the oven. Remove the foil from the quail, poussin, chicken, and turkey. Stuff the saffron egg inside the quail, taking care not to squash either. Stuff the quail inside the spatchcock, stuff both inside the chicken, and finally, stuff the lot inside the turkey, taking care at all stages not to let the birds disintegrate.
7 Brush the turkey with the pan juices, and return it to the oven without the foil cover. At this point, you can add the vegetables to cook in the juices in the pan. Continue baking at 350F/180C for another 20 to 30 minutes.
8 When everything is cooked, place the "stuffed up" turkey on a large serving dish, and garnish elaborately with vegetables, rice, and flowers and foliage from your garden.
9 This dish is best eaten in the typical African fashion: do not bother to carve neat little pieces, but just pull off pieces and share around-the idea is that as you get to each layer, a different taste sensation awaits you!

Back