Pintade Royale aux Morilles et Sauce Crème de Vin Jaune

Rehydrate the morels: Place dried morels in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, or until tender. Once rehydrated, carefully lift the morels from the water, reserving the soaking liquid. Rinse the morels thoroughly under cold running water to remove any grit, then gently squeeze out excess water. Strain the reserved soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any sediment; set aside.

Prepare the guinea fowl: Pat the guinea fowl supremes dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sear the guinea fowl: In a large, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 15g of unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, carefully place the guinea fowl supremes skin-side down. Sear for 6-8 minutes until the skin is deeply golden brown and crispy. Flip the supremes and sear for another 3-4 minutes on the flesh side. Remove the guinea fowl from the pan and set aside on a plate, tented loosely with foil to keep warm.

Sauté shallots and morels: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 15g of unsalted butter to the same pan. Add the minced shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the rehydrated morels and sauté for another 3-4 minutes, allowing them to absorb the pan flavors.

Deglaze and reduce: Pour the Vin Jaune into the pan. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the flavorful fond. Reduce the Vin Jaune by half, about 3-5 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the flavors to concentrate.

Build the sauce: Add the strained morel soaking liquid and the chicken stock to the pan, along with the fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce the liquid by about one-third, for approximately 5-7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to simmer gently for another 5-7 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken further to a rich, velvety consistency.

Finish the dish: Remove the thyme sprigs from the sauce. Whisk in the remaining 20g of cold unsalted butter, piece by piece, to emulsify and add gloss to the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve: Return the seared guinea fowl supremes to the pan with the sauce. Spoon the sauce and morels over the guinea fowl and let it gently warm through for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with freshly chopped chervil or flat-leaf parsley.