How To Cook Roast Spring Chicken (Poussin) with Giant Couscous

  • Prep time
  • Cook time
  • Difficulty easy
  • Serves 2
roast spring chicken (poussin) with giant couscous cooked

Ingredients

  • Ingredients for the brine:
  • 1.25 litres water
  • 150g coarse sea salt
  • 100g unrefined sugar
  • 12 juniper berries
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 6 cloves
  • Sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaf
  • 2 strip of orange peel or lemon peel
  • Ingredients for the garnish:
  • 100g giant couscous
  • 300ml Hot chicken stock
  • 1 tbls. Unsalted butter
  • Juice & zest of lemon
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 2 Large handfuls of baby spinach blanched in boiling salted water for a few seconds, refreshed in cold water and excess moisture carefully squeezed out
  • Salt & pepper to taste

roast spring chicken (poussin) with giant couscous recipe ingredients

  1. One day in advance make the brine, simply bring ingredients to a simmer then remove from heat, transfer to a non-corrosive container large enough to hold the poussin then chill.
  2. Submerge the spring chicken in the brine and chill for 4 hours.
  3. Remove the spring chicken from the brine pat dry and place in the chiller uncovered overnight.
  4. Smother each bird in schmaltz then roast in a preheated oven 230°C /210°C fan assisted (gas 7) for 45 minutes or until juices run clear & minimum core temperature of 70°C, remove from oven & keep warm.
  5. Whilst the spring chicken roasts make the giant couscous. Soften the onion, garlic and zest in the butter with a pinch of salt then add the couscous and hot stock. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until tender and consistency of a loose risotto then fold through the spinach, check seasoning and finish with a little extra lemon zest and juice.

giant cous cous cooked

to serve

  • Serve the spring chicken split between 2 plates with the couscous and finger bowls.

roast spring chicken (poussin) with giant couscous cooked