Best Greek Roasted Poussin Recipes

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.

ROASTED POUSSINS

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.

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.

ROASTED POUSSIN WITH OREGANO, ORANGE & SHERRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the poussin in a roasting tin, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle over the oregano and season with some salt and pepper.
• Roast for 15 mins, then add the zest from one of the oranges, then squeeze the juice from both. Sprinkle over the birds with the sherry. Return to the oven and roast for a further 20-25 mins.

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.

ROASTED POUSSINS WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE AND POTATO RöSTI

Steps:

• Make sauce
• In small saucepan over moderately high heat, whisk together 1 cup water, pomegranate juice, and sugar. Bring to boil and cook, uncovered, until thick and syrupy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Make poussins
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Rinse poussins inside and out and pat dry. Cut out necks if attached and discard. In small bowl, whisk together salt, cumin, turmeric, pepper, and saffron. Sprinkle poussins with spice mixture; press to adhere.
• Set large roasting pan on stove top, straddling two burners. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in 2 batches, sear poussins until well browned, about 5 minutes per side, transferring as done to large platter and adding more oil as needed. Return poussins to pan and pour pomegranate syrup over.
• Roast 15 minutes. Baste poussins with pan juices and scatter walnuts around. Roast, basting occasionally, until instant-read thermometer inserted into 1 thigh (avoiding bone) registers 170°F, about 15 minutes more.
• While poussins are roasting, make rösti
• In large bowl, stir together grated potato, rosemary, salt, and pepper. In heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Pour in 1/2 potato batter and lightly press to form even layer that completely fills pan. Cook, without moving, until underside is browned, about 12 minutes. Invert large plate over skillet and flip pancake onto plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, then slide pancake back, uncooked side down, into skillet. Cook until underside is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm, then repeat process with remaining oil and potato batter to make second pancake.
• Cut into wedges and serve with poussin.

LEMON ROAST POUSSIN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

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.