Roast guinea fowl with creamed cabbage and bacon

Cooking Christmas dinner for two is always a bit tricky because the average turkey is so large. A small guinea fowl is just perfect and the dish can easily be multiplied up to serve as many people as you like.
Serves 2

1 x 900g/2lb guinea fowl
A little softened butter
300ml/1/2 pint chicken stock
3 crushed juniper berries
2 tbsp dry white wine
1 tsp plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the creamed cabbage:
15g/1/2oz butter
50g/2oz rindless streaky bacon, cut into thin strips
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 small leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/2 Savoy cabbage, core removed and cut across into strips
3 tablespoons double cream

Preheat the oven to 200_C/Gas Mark 6. Rub the skin of the guinea fowl with the butter and season well with salt and pepper. Place it in a small roasting tin and roast for 45-50 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the chicken stock and juniper berries into a small pan and leave it to boil vigorously until it has reduced to 100ml/4fl oz.
Remove the guinea fowl from the oven, cover with some foil and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat, add the wine and rub the base of the tin to release the caramelised cooking juices. Sprinkle over and stir in the flour, then gradually stir in the reduced stock and bring to a simmer. Strain into a small clean pan and keep warm.
For the cabbage, heat the butter in a pan, add the bacon and cook until it is lightly golden. Add the carrot and the leek and cook for a few minutes until the carrot has softened. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the cream and season to taste with some salt and pepper.
Cut the guinea fowl in half along the breast bone with kitchen scissors or poultry shears. Open it up, cut either side of the backbone and discard it. Cut each half into 2 smaller joints. Spoon the cabbage into the centre of 2 warmed plates and rest the guinea fowl on top. Pour the gravy around the outside of the plate and serve.