Guinea fowl with liquorice braised leeks, morels and rosemary

Begin by preparing the shallot purée. Slice the shallots and place them in a saucepan over a medium heat with the butter and a pinch of salt and sugar. Place a lid on top and leave to cook on a gentle heat for around 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Once the shallots are completely soft, drain off the excess butter and pour in the double cream. Simmer gently for a further 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blitz until the purée is smooth

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Stuff the cavity of the guinea fowl with the crushed garlic, rosemary and thyme. Truss the bird using butchers' string to secure the cavity

Rub butter all over the skin of the bird and place in a roasting tin. Roast in the hot oven for 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife

Meanwhile, prepare the braised leeks. Leaving the roots intact, trim a little off the tops and wash the leeks thoroughly in ice water to remove any soil or sand. Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add the thyme, liquorice root, garlic and a pinch salt

In a separate pan, lightly caramelise the butter to make a beurre noisette. Add the butter to the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Then, place the leeks in the stock and simmer until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes

Remove the leeks from the stock, cut them in half lengthways and drain on kitchen towel. Place a pan over a high heat and add some oil. Once scorching hot, caramelise the leeks until dark golden brown and set aside

Once the guinea fowl is cooked, remove from the oven and rest the bird upside down for approximately 25 minutes so that the juices relax back into the meat. Reserve any juices in the roasting tin

Wash the morels thoroughly in warm water to remove any soil or sand until completely clean

Preheat a frying pan and add the butter, garlic, thyme and morels. Lightly fry the morels until they start to soften. Remove the excess butter with a spoon or absorbent kitchen paper and glaze the mushrooms in a splash of chicken stock. Season to taste

In a separate pan, lightly sauté the spinach in a knob of butter, season and keep warm

Before serving, in separate pans reheat the shallot purée, leeks and morels

Spoon some of the purée onto each plate. Remove the breasts from the bird, carve each in half lengthways and arrange on top of the purée. Place the leeks and morels neatly around each plate and garnish with the baby spinach. Drizzle with the cooking juices and serve immediately