LET'S face it, there are very few of us who will be having a Christmas dinner at home with enough family and friends around the table to eat a whole turkey.

I’ll come clean here. I’ve never even cooked a whole turkey. Since my sister tried to cook a turkey straight from the freezer on Christmas morning I’ve had a lifelong fear of it.

This year, I’m cooking this delicious roast guinea fowl. Moist, succulent with a delicious crispy skin and rich gravy, it’s fool proof.

If you can, choose guinea fowl breast with the bone attached and skin on to get the best flavour. The recipe also works well with corn fed chicken.

Spinach and apple stuffed roast guinea fowl

For the stuffing

Extra virgin olive oil

I clove garlic, sliced

Piece dried chilli

1 bag fresh spinach leaves

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 cooking apple, peeled and chopped

Sea salt and black pepper.

Fresh nutmeg

4 guinea fowl supremes/or corn fed chicken supremes

butter

8 slices smoked streaky bacon

Grated rind and slices unwaxed lemon

8 fresh sage leaves

125ml dry white wine

First prepare the stuffing.

Warm the garlic and dried chilli in a frying pan.

Add the spinach, cover and cook.

Leave to cool and between your hands squeeze it over a sieve to remove all the moisture.

Add the chopped apple, pine nuts, lemon zest and some chopped sage leaves .

Lay the guinea fowl flat and slice into the breast to create a pocket.

Season well inside and out with sea salt and black pepper.

Lay the stuffing on the inside, add some slices of lemon and close the fowl, using the flaps of skin to form a tight parcel.

You can use some chop sticks or even thread to tie it together.

Rub the skin with butter and with a little oil in a clean frying pan, brown it well on each side.

Set aside to cool.

When cooled, wrap with the bacon, more butter and lemon zest.

Add a generous grating of nutmeg.

You can do this all the day before you are going to serve it.

When ready to cook pre-heat oven 190C/Gas 5

Lay the prepared guinea fowl in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with some more fresh sage leaves.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove and add a small glass of dry white wine, return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes until the flesh is cooked through and the wine has formed a juicy gravy in the bottom of the pan.

Serve with creamy carrots and rosemary roast potatoes.