Roast Poussin Dinner

Roast Poussin Dinner

Poussins are young chickens sold as a whole bird, no more than about 500g - typically enough for one adult meal. They are generally more flavourful and tender than adult birds. Poussins are sometimes known as Spring Chicken, Coquelet, and occaisionally (erroneously) as spatchcoks.

The word spatchcock is more corectly used as a verb meaning to prepare a bird by splitting open, butterfly style, for grilling or roasting, or as an adjective describing a bird that has been so prepared.

This is a simple and hearty recipe, using 3 of my favourite cooking shortcuts:

1. Glad bake - non-sticking baking paper. I rarely bake or roast without it - it stops the appetizingly browned skin of chickens and potatoes from tearing off and sticking to the pan. Also a great timesaver for those of us who loath washing up.
2. Olive Oil Spray - A quick, and way to apply a light, even coat of olive oil with out making a mess.
3. Kitchen Blow Torch - A power tool for the kitchen! In this recipe the poussins, being so small, may be fully cooked before they have had time to develop a crispy golden-brown skin. A quick once over with the blow torch soon solves this problem. The blow torch is essential for setting the top of a creme brulee, and useful for charring the skin of capsicums (bell peppers).

Roast Poussin Dinner

Roast Poussin Dinner - Recipe:

Vegetables:

• pumkin
• carrot
• parsnips
• potatoes

-scrubbed and cut into bite size chunks.

Tossed with

• unpeeled garlic cloves
• finely chopped marjoram & rosemary
• salt and cracked black pepper

Line a roasting pan with glad bake and toss vegetables in the pan with a generous slurp of olive oil.
Roast in hot oven for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, adding

• butter beans (topped and tailed)

about 15mins before cooked.

Poussins

• poussins (one per serve)
  

Each is stuffed with

• fresh thyme
• lime quarter,
• whole, peeled garlic clove,
• bay leaf,
• 3 sage leaves

Spray the outside of the poussins with

• olive oil

then sprinkle with

• maldon salt
• paprika
• cracked black pepper.

Roast on rack in hot oven for 45 mins approx, sat w breast down for first 20 mins, then turn breast side up. Poussins (like full sized chooks) are cooked when skewer poked into thickest part of the flesh (where the thigh joins the body) and juices run clear not pink.
If they still look a little pallid when they are cooked, give them a quick once over with the blowtorch.

Cut the birds into quarters lengthways, discard the stuffing, and serve on a large platter surounded by the roasted vegetables.