Christmas Poussin Recipes

CHRISTMAS POUSSIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Smear the butter all over the poussins, season inside and out, then criss-cross the bacon over each one. Sit the poussins in a roasting tin and cook for 40 mins until the birds are golden and the bacon is crisp. Remove from the tin, leave to rest and set the tin aside until you're ready to make the gravy.
• About 5 mins before you sit down to eat, make the gravy. Place the tin on a medium heat, then stir in the flour and splash in the Worcestershire sauce. Bubble together, then drain the veg over the roasting tin and stir in the vegetable stock. Bring the gravy to the boil, taste for seasoning, adding more Worcestershire sauce if needed, then pour into a warm gravy jug.

PARTY POUSSINS WITH FESTIVE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• For the poussins, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place the poussins in a roasting tin. Pour the oil slowly over the top of the top of the poussins. Rub the oil into the poussins so that they are well coated.
• Place the salt, sugar, cinnamon and paprika in a small clean bowl and mix well. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the poussins. Slice the lemon into quarters and then slice each quarter into 4 so you have 16 small pieces. Place the pieces around and in between the poussins.
• Separate the garlic bulb into cloves and place the pieces around and in between the poussins. Transfer the poussins to the oven and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Remove the poussins from the oven and then let them rest for 10 minutes in their tin.
• Place the couscous, sultanas, spices and salt into a microwave-proof bowl and mix well. Add the freshly boiled water to the bowl and then cover the bowl with cling film. Leave the mixture to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed by the couscous. Remove the cling film from the bowl and stir the couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Carefully pour some of the juices that have collected in the roasting tin of poussins into the bowl. Stir the mixture again and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the couscous to a serving dish.
• Slice the pomegranate in half and extract a good quarter of the seeds. Place them onto the couscous. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro (coriander) over the top.
• To serve, place the poussins onto clean plates and place the couscous alongside. Use the oven-charred lemon pieces and garlic cloves from the roasting tin to garnish.

LE POUSSIN EN SURPRISE

Steps:

• Combine marjoram, rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme and basil with salad oil in small pot. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain through fine sieve and discard herbs. Drown bird in oil and add wine. Marinate for 3 hours, refrigerated
• Meanwhile, fry pork fat in heavy saucepan until mostly rendered. Remove and discard crisp fatty pieces. Add onion and shallot. Lower heat and add remaining thyme and bay leaf. Add chicken livers and cook until browned. Remove bay leaf and pass liver mixture through a meat grinder or sieve.
• After bird has marinated, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dry bird thoroughly inside and out with paper towels and place sieved 'pate' into rear cavity. Remold bird to its natural shape and secure both ends with poultry pins, then truss. Season bird with salt and white pepper, coat with clarified butter, and roast at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes, until nicely browned and tender. Remove from the oven.
• Turn up oven to 450 degrees F. Cut 1 (20 by 18-inch) sheet of parchment paper in a heart shape. Grease well with clarified butter or oil. Place cooked chicken on one side of the heart, remove string and pins and enclose it in paper, pleating edges together to secure (use staples, if you have to!). Heat a little oil in large skillet and add parchment package. The air inside will expand, forcing the package to 'blow up'. When fully expanded, grease the outer surface and place in oven until lightly browned and remove immediately. To serve, open bag and cut bird in two.

THYME-ROASTED POUSSIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Rinse the poussins and season the cavities with salt and pepper. Rub each with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Fill each cavity with a lemon wedge, 2 sprigs each of thyme and marjoram, and 1 crushed garlic clove.
• Loosen the skin from the breast of each poussin. Slide a sprig each of thyme and marjoram between the skin and the breast. Spoon the Cognac (1/2 tablespoon per bird) into the breast pockets of each poussin. Truss with kitchen string.
• On a roasting rack set in a roasting pan, roast for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork.

MAPLE SUGAR GLAZED ROASTED POUSSIN

Steps:

• To make glaze, mix together all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Continue boiling 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Loosen skin on each chicken by gently working index finger from a small separation in the front toward the back. Spread a small pat of butter about the size of your fingertip on each side of each chicken breast.
• Mix remaining butter with chopped apple, onion, thyme and parsley and loosely stuff an equal portion of the mixture into cavity of each bird.
• Trim off wing tips and any other extraneous parts, like the neck. Truss chickens and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat two 10-inch frying pans to medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to just cover the bottoms. Sear birds on all sides until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Place chickens on rack in a roasting pan. Brush each with maple sugar glaze and roast 8 minutes. Remove and brush with glaze once again. Put chickens back in oven 7 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and let birds rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

ROAST POUSSIN WITH PRUNES AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove neck from inside of poussin cavity, and set aside. Rinse inside and outside of poussin, and pat dry.
• Season each of the poussin cavities with salt and pepper. Fill each of the cavities with 2 onion quarters, 3 prunes, and 1/3 bunch thyme. Tie the poussin's legs together with kitchen twine, and set aside. Strew the bottom of a large roasting pan with the remaining onion quarters and celery.
• Rub poussin with 2 tablespoons soft butter; season with salt and pepper. Arrange poussin in roasting pan; place in oven. Roast poussin until golden brown and thigh juices run clear when pierced with a fork, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.
• Add brandy and chicken stock to pan; stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan. Strain gravy, and discard solids. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter. Use gravy to glaze poussin, or serve on the side.