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

Name: How To Cook Roast Spring Chicken (Poussin) with Giant Couscous
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 4 h 45 min
Yield: 2

4 hours
45 mins
easy
2

Recipe by

Jeff Baker

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

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Method

roast spring chicken (poussin) with giant couscous recipe ingredients

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.
Submerge the spring chicken in the brine and chill for 4 hours.
Remove the spring chicken from the brine pat dry and place in the chiller uncovered overnight.
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.
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.