Roast Guinea Hen Stuffed With Chestnuts

• 1 guinea hen (or pheasant or small chicken)
• 1/2 pound chestnuts
• 1/2 cup white bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 slices pancetta (or ordinary bacon)

1. Wipe the guinea hen inside and out with paper towels.
2. Hang in a cool place for two days or store, unwrapped, on a rack in the refrigerator.
3. With a sharp knife make a slit in each chestnut.
4. Simmer the chestnuts for 10 minutes in water.
5. Remove, and, wearing rubber gloves, slip off their outer and inner skins while the chestnuts are still hot.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Soften the bread crumbs in the milk.
8. Melt the butter in the skillet and cook the celery, onion and garlic until soft.
9. Add the thyme.
10. Coarsely chop the chestnuts and add them to the skillet with the bread crumbs.
11. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
12. Stuff the cavity of the guinea hen with the mixture.
13. Place the hen on the rack in the roasting pan and cover the breast with the pancetta.
14. Roast for about 20 minutes or until cooked.
15. Remove the bacon fat for the last 10 minutes to brown the breast.

guinea hen, chestnuts, white bread crumbs, milk, butter, celery, onion, clove garlic, thyme, salt, pancetta

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2284 (may not work)