Roast Poussin with grilled radicchio, butter beans,toasted hazelnut and sorrel pesto
A beautiful alternative to a whole roast chicken,also know as spring chicken, it has a lovely mild flavour and is perfect as a single portion. This means you get a whole bird to yourself and have to share nothing!!!
Serves 2
Preheat oven to 200 Degrees
Turn on griddle or use frying pan
2 poussin
1 lemon
rosemary and thyme
1tsp nigella seeds
150ml rapeseed oil
1 large garlic clove crushed
Firstly we are going to spatchcock the poussin by taking the palm of your hand and placing it on the breast been of the chicken and using down until you hear a nice satisfying crack. Then turn him over, take your kitchen scissors and begin from the arse, cut along the spine, do the same of the other side. Turn him back over and push down once more. Done!
In a large bowl pour in your oil, garlic, 2 strips of lemon rind ,herbs and spices then season. Leave to the side while you get on with the next bit.
Hazelnut and sorrel Pesto
100g of toasted skin off hazelnuts (cold)
4-5 large sorrel leaves, finely chopped
1 very small caused garlic glove
100ml of rapeseed oil
In a pestle and mortar pour in your hazelnuts and begin to crush them, you are looking to get the natural oils out before adding any more. Add sorrel and garlic and pound to a paste, season at this point. Slowly add your oil, tbsp by tbsp until you get a pesto like consistency. Keep at room temperature.
Put poussin in your preheated over and set your timer for 20 mins, and allow to rest
Butter Bean mix
1 Can butter beans
1 small onion
1 very small carrot
1 stick celery
1 large sorrel leaf - Chopped
1 clove of fresh garlic
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Drain butter beans. Very finely dice onion, carrots and celery, use a mixer if your chopping or knife aren't up to the job. Heat oil in a pan and cook until soft and transparent add garlic, cook for a further 5 minutes. Toss in your butter beans and chopped sorrel. Turn off heat and cover while you grill the radicchio.
Grilled Radicchio
1 head of radicchio
Olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper
Trim the very end of the radicchio, cut it into quarters, drizzle with oil season and put on you hot pan for 10 seconds each side.
Plate up!