Instructions: Have ready the chicken stock and set aside. Cut off the legs and wings from the guinea fowl. These can be used for another dish, perhaps in mid-week casserole. Leave the breasts intact on the carcass of each guinea fowl.

If you are using home made tagliatelle, blanch for one minute, drain and set aside. For fresh ready-made, follow the pack intructions.

Heat the butter and half the oil in a saute pan and gently fry the onions or shallots until lightly browned, shaking the pan occsionally. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Blanch the spinach in a minimum of water, just enough to cover, for a few seconds until wilted, then drian in a sieve and refresh under cold water to arrest cooking and preserve the colour. Squeeze gently in a clean tea towel or kitchen paper towels to dry. Set aside.

Blanch the petits pois and the unpodded broad beans in seperate pans in unsalted boiling water. Drain. Pod the broad beans and set aside both peas and beans in a warm place.

Now make the sauce. Preheat the oven to its lower temperature. In a large saucpan, put the chicken stock to boil along with the bay leaf, rosemary, carrot, onion, celery and peppercorns. Add the birds, ensuring the breasts are submerged in the stock. Turn the heat down so the liquid is at a very gently simmer, with just the occasional bubble, then cover and poach the birds for 10 minutes. Remove them, cover loosely in foil, and keep warm the oven.

Return the poaching stock to the heat and boil rapidly until reduced by about half. Strain through a fine sieve and reserve about 400ml (14fl oz).

The remaining stock can be used in another recipe or frozen.

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