Korean guinea fowl takes your poultry to a whole new level thanks to the seasoning used here. And if you cook it in a pellet smoker with the addition of apple pellets, it will be a fantastic BBQ experience. And first of all: it also works wonderfully with chicken or duck, so get to work on the recipe, which is based on the Korean Tongdak Gui.
If you are familiar with Korean cuisine, you may have heard of tongdak gui 통닭구이. This is the classic Korean way of preparing a whole chicken on the rotisserie or deep-fried. Garlic, ginger, sesame oil and, depending on the region and restaurant, other ingredients are used.
I see my recipe as a reference to Tongdak Gui, as I feel very close to Korean cuisine and its flavors. Be sure to check out my other Korean recipes too: Click here! Using guinea fowl instead of chicken gives the dish even more aromatic poultry meat. Cooking in a pellet smoker underlines the BBQ character and creates wonderful smoky aromas.
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The guinea fowl
Guinea fowl is a fascinating poultry that has a special place in French cuisine in particular. I have long been interested in this great alternative to normal chicken and love using it in the kitchen and on my barbecues. However, recipes with it have so far been neglected here, and that needs to change.
The guinea fowl originates from Africa and has a long history there as a farm animal. It was domesticated early on in various cultures and spread to many parts of the world over the centuries. It is also very popular in poultry farming, where it makes a good “watchdog” against approaching predators and makes a lot of noise.
I found out that the first attempts to tame guinea fowl probably took place in ancient Greece. The ancient Egyptians also kept them as pets. Later, guinea fowl were popular with the Romans. They valued their meat and eggs. After the fall of the Roman Empire, however, the birds fell into oblivion in Europe. It was not until the 15th century that Portuguese sailors brought guinea fowl back to Europe. From then on, they slowly became more popular as farm animals.
The wild form of the guinea fowl, the helmeted guinea fowl, still lives in sub-Saharan Africa today. Guinea fowl have now spread worldwide as livestock. In Europe, they are mainly bred for their meat. Guinea fowl are also bred in North and South America and parts of Asia.
Guinea fowl in the kitchen
Guinea fowl are a great alternative to conventional poultry. I love their special taste and their versatility in the kitchen. I think their meat tastes more intense than normal chicken meat. It is partly reminiscent of pheasant without being as dry as pheasant. The dark meat is high in protein and low in fat. This makes it a healthy choice. If you like poultry other than chicken, you should also try my Thai quail recipe.
Guinea fowl is particularly popular in France. It is considered a delicacy there. I often see it on the menus of fine restaurants. But it’s also great to prepare at home and, of course, it goes great with Asian flavors, like here as Korean guinea fowl or tongdak gui.
Korean guinea fowl in the pellet smoker
I would like to show you how to cook guinea fowl in a pellet smoker. It’s a great way to give the meat a smoky flavor and keep it juicy. Smoking is usually about slow cooking at a low temperature. However, as we also want to create a great crust with this Korean chicken while keeping the meat juicy, we’re going higher with the temperature.
I use apple wood pellets* or cherry wood pellets for guinea fowl. They give a mild, fruity aroma. Set your pellet smoker to 160 degrees Celsius, then place the guinea fowl on the grill. I have prepared it here as spatchcock or roadkill guinea fowl, so cut it open, remove the backbone and flatten it. This allows the chicken or guinea fowl to cook more evenly and I think it also looks great.
With a guinea fowl of approx. 1.3 kg, it then remains in the pellet smoker for over an hour at 160 degrees. Then increase the temperature to 200 degrees for another 10 minutes to make the skin crispier. However, pay attention to the core temperature of the guinea fowl breast, which should be 70 degrees at the end of the cooking process. If the Korean guinea fowl then rests for another 10 minutes, the core temperature will rise to 73/74 degrees and your meal is ready.
Side dishes with Korean guinea fowl
The classic rice always works as a side dish, of course. I have dispensed with it here and just prepared quick and easy green beans with sesame oil, gochujang paste and black and white sesame seeds. If you really want to serve it up, then I recommend my Korean noodles with kimchi. Now let’s get to the recipe!
Koreanisches Perlhuhn aus dem Pellet Smoker
- Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients
1 Perlhuhn im Ganzen, aufgeklappt (Spatchcock)
2 EL geröstetes Sesamöl
1/2 TL Knoblauchpulver
1/2 TL Ingwerpulver
1/2 TL Gochugaru Chili Pulver
Für die Beilage:
500g Stangenbohnen
1 EL Gochujang Chilipaste
1 EL geröstetes Sesamöl
schwarze und weiße Sesamsaat
Instructions
Aus den Zutaten die Marinade für das Perlhuhn mischen. Dieses damit gleichmäßig einreiben.
Den Pellet Smoker mit Apfelholzpellets oder anderen fruchtigen Holzpeletts bestücken und auf 160 Grad vorheizen.
Das Perlhuhn auf den Rost legen und für eine gute Stunde smoken. Wichtiger als die Zeit ist es, dass die Perlhuhnbrust eine Kerntemperatur von 70 Grad erreicht. Wenn sich das anbahnt, den Pellet Smoker zum Ende ruhig auf 200 Grad hochheizen um der Haut zu mehr Knusprigkeit zu verhelfen. Das Perlhuhn anschließend 10 Minuten ruhen lassen. Dabei erhöht sich die Kerntemperatur noch auf 73/74 Grad.
In der Zwischenzeit die Stangenbohnen in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden und im Salzwasser bissfest kochen, anschließend abschrecken.
Die Stangenbohnen dann im heißen Sesamöl schwenken, die Gochujang Chilipaste mit vermengen, mit schwarzer und weißer Sesamsaat bestreuen und nach Belieben mit Reis servieren.
- Prep Time: 20 Minuten
- Cook Time: 90 Minuten
- Method: Smoken
- Cuisine: Koreanisch