Greek Roasted Poussin Recipes

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/CORNISH HEN AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• This is my almost regular as clockwork Saturday night supper. I find it enormously easy and relaxing to make since all I do is go downstairs, put everything in the oven, and then go back up to Saturday evening tv in bed until it's ready - and then, frankly, back again.
• If I cook the poussins/ Cornish hens in the same pan as the sweet potatoes, I cut a couple of slices of bread and put 1 underneath each bird in the tin, so as to absorb the juices and stop them from seeping into the sweet potatoes which, in turn, would prevent them from crisping and browning. But more often than not, I dispense with the bread (you can imagine how good it tastes later though) and just get 2 disposable foil roasting trays about the size of brownie tins each and put the poussins/ Cornish hens in one and the sweet potatoes in another and reuinite on the plate with a little watercress and a squirt of lime juice later. I must have English mustard with. I know it's a weakness, but not one I'm willing to renounce.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the birds into a small baking tin or foil tray pouring over 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Cut the unpeeled sweet potatoes into 2 1/2-inch cubes and put them into another smallish tin or foil tray.Pour over the other tablespoon of oil and sprinkle over the spices, and then toss everything together by shaking the tin.
• Cook both the poussins/hens and sweet potatoes in the preheated hot oven for 45 minutes.
• Put each poussin/Cornish hen on a plate, with a tangle of watercress and the sweet potatoes alongside. Sprinkle with Maldon/kosher salt, to taste, and spritz with lime juice and go to it!

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 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.

GREEK POTATOES (OVEN-ROASTED AND DELICIOUS!)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 420°F A reviewer has suggested spraying the baking pan with Pam - that sounds like a great idea!
• Put all the ingredients into a baking pan large enough to hold them.
• Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
• Make sure your hands are very clean and put them in the pan and give everything a toss to distribute.
• The garlic will drop into the water/oil solution but its flavour will permeate the potatoes, and this way, it won't burn.
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• When a nice golden-brown crust has formed on the potatoes, give them a stir to bring the white underside up, season lightly with a bit more sea salt and pepper and just a light sprinkling of oregano.
• Add 1/2 cup more water if pan appears to be getting dry, and pop back into oven to brown other side of potatoes.
• This will take about another 40 minutes.
• Do not be afraid of overcooking the potatoes- they will be delicious.
• Note: I often melt a bouillon cube in the water; if you do, make sure to cut back some on the salt.

GREEK ROASTED POUSSIN

Steps:

• 1. Gently pan fry the onion and garlic in a dash of oil until tender and well cooked , but not brown. 2. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked onion mixture with the lemon rind, olives, marjoram, breadcrumbs, lemon juice and eggs with a good seasoning of with salt and pepper. 3. Wash the poussin and dry with paper towels inside and out. Fill the cavity with the stuffing. Twist the wings underneath the body. Place a lemon slice of two on top of the poussin and then tie the lemon slices, legs and wings in place with string. Place on a shallow baking tray. Brush the poussins liberally with melted butter. 4. Roast at 180°C on fan bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden and thoroughly cooked. Collect any juice from the baking tray and serve with the poussin.