Last weekend I decided we would have the traditional “Chicken with 40 Pieces of Garlic”. But of course I had to do it my way!
We didn’t have a whole chicken, but we did have a pair of good, corn-fed, poussins. We find one 500g poussin nicely serves the two of us, so with two we always have one for cold the next day.
I started with Felicity Cloake’s recipe from the Guardian, and adapted, and simplified, it to suit. This is what I did …
Very Garlicky Poussin
3 large heads of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Poussin (about 500g each)
Salt and pepper
Large bunch fresh thyme
350ml white wine or vermouth (or a mix of wine and water)
Cornflour (optional)
Knob of butter (optional)
- Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.
- Separate the garlic into individual cloves, and peel them. (You should have about three dozen cloves, but feel free to use more if you wish.) Put aside 6-8 smaller cloves and about half the thyme.
- Put the oil in a hob-friendly casserole which is just big enough for the two poussins, and put on a high heat.
- Season the poussins, then brown them on all sides as best as you can.
- Set the poussins aside and stuff the reserved garlic and thyme in the body cavities.
- Turn down the heat to medium, add the garlic and thyme to the pot, coat in the oil, cook for a couple of minutes and season.
- Add the wine and the poussins.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and put in the oven for about 30 minutes.
- Take off the lid and roast the poussins uncovered for another 15 minutes (or longer until done) to brown the skin slightly.
- Set the poussins aside to keep hot and rest.
- Return the pot to the hob and bring up to a simmer. Remove as many of the thyme stalks as possible with a slotted spoon.
- While reducing the liquid, mash the garlic into the sauce (a stick blender is easiest, but don’t spray hot liquid everywhere!) and season to taste. You want to end up with a garlic gravy/sauce, so thicken with a little cornflour and a knob of butter if you wish.
- Serve the poussins with steamed vegetables of your choice, either jacket or steamed new potatoes, and the sauce on the side.
This was really yummy and appreciated not just by us, but also by the cats who came begging! It was finger- and paw-licking good!