Roasted Poussins With Green Wheat Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• Wash the chicken under cool running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and as long as 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil a roasting or baking pan with canola oil.
• Make the stuffing: Put the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the liver and gizzard with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and when it melts, add the giblets and cook quickly until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board, chop finely and add to the breadcrumbs. Off of the heat, add the wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet to dislodge the brown bits; pour the liquid onto the breadcrumbs and mix.
• Add the pork to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes; scrape the pork into the bowl with the bread mixture. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the onions and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the sage and garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted. Scrape the mixture and all the buttery juices onto the breadcrumbs and mix to combine. Add the chives and lemon zest and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
• Loosen the skin over the chicken breasts. Insert the remaining 4 tablespoons cold butter under the skin of the chicken breasts, pushing down to disperse them. Rub the chicken all over with a thin film of canola oil. Sprinkle the chicken heavily on all sides with 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the bread mixture, and stuff the neck skin with any remaining stuffing. Set the bird in the oiled roasting pan.
• Roast the chicken until the skin dries and the butter melts, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F and continue to roast, basting the chicken once or twice with the fat that accumulates in the corners of the pan, until the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a large platter to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the pan juices into a bowl and skim off the fat. Pour 1/4 cup water into the roasting pan, set it on a burner on high heat and scrape up any stuck-on bits on the bottom with a rubber spatula. Return the defatted juices to the pan and simmer together for 3 to 5 minutes to make a thin, natural gravy. Season with salt and pepper.
• Carve the chicken on the platter. Slice the wings at the joint, twist to remove them and set them above the chicken. Cut the thighs at the joint, twist to remove them, slice them diagonally at the leg joint to separate them into thigh and drumstick and lay them on the platter. Carve thin slices from the breast meat and let them lay as they fall; pour a little gravy over the white meat, avoiding wetting the crispy skin of the thighs. Cut the stuffed neck in slices, and serve with the rest of the gravy in a small pitcher on the side.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, and mustard until well combined. Whisk in garlic, chives, thyme, oregano, dry mustard, salt, and pepper; set aside. Rinse poussins well under cold water. Pat dry.
• Using kitchen shears, cut along either side of backbone; remove it. Turn over; gently flatten. Place marinade in a large resealable plastic bag; add poussins. Seal; turn bag to coat them with marinade. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in center. Place a flat roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat rack with spray; set aside.
• Remove poussins from marinade, letting excess drip off; place on rack, breast side up. Tuck wing tips under body. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; roast until golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes. Cut each in half through breast; serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/ gas 7. Season the inside of the poussins generously with salt and pepper, then stuff each with a garlic clove, half a bunch of thyme and a lemon half.
• Sit the birds in a shallow roasting dish. Smother generously with butter, then season the skin with sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for about 40 mins.
• While the birds are roasting, prepare the accompaniments. For the braised peas and lettuce, heat a frying pan and add a drizzle of oil. Sizzle the bacon for 2 mins until starting to crisp. Turn down the heat a little, toss in the onions, then continue to cook for 6-7 mins until they are golden.
• Pour the chicken stock into the pan, simmer for 2 mins, then scatter in the peas and cook for 2 mins more. Lastly, stir in the lettuce and cook for 1 min until just wilted, then set aside.
• For the spring vegetables, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and have a bowl of iced water at the ready. In batches, boil all the veg (except the radishes), then transfer to the iced water. The courgettes will take 3 mins, the carrots and leeks 2 mins. Drain the vegetables, then lay them on kitchen paper to dry.
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in another frying pan, then stir-fry the vegetables until just starting to colour. Add the vinegar, lemon zest and a little seasoning. Turn off the heat, toss through the radishes, then drizzle with a little more oil.
• Check if the poussins are cooked by inserting a skewer or small knife between the leg and the breast; if the juices are pink, give the bird an extra 5-10 minutes in the oven. Once ready, remove the poussins from the dish and leave to rest, upside down, for 10 mins (this keeps the breasts from drying out). To make a simple gravy, remove the lemon halves from the poussins, squeeze into the juices in the roasting dish, then whisk together.
• Strain the lemony juices into a jug. You are now ready to carve the birds and plate up.
• Using a sharp knife, cut through the thigh joint and remove the leg. Cut each leg through the joint to separate the drumstick from the thigh. Carefully carve the breasts away from the bone, cutting through the joint to leave the wing attached. Carve each breast into 2 pieces so each portion has 2 pieces of leg and 2 pieces of breast.
• Spoon a mound of the braised peas and lettuce into the centre of 4 large, shallow, bowls. Neatly assemble a 'nest' of vegetables around the lettuce. Pile the carved poussin on top of the lettuce, giving each serving the same amount of meat. Pour over the lemony sauce and serve straight away.

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.