Spatchcocked Poussin With Garlic and Madeira

I love poussin. When cooked correctly it is so much nicer than chicken. The meat is so tender and juicy. You’ll be seeing a lot more spatchcocked poussin recipes here in future.

This kind of meal always makes me hungry.

They are perfect for the BBQ but today it was just a bit too cold outside to do the BBQ thing so I made these in the kitchen. Actually, that’s a lie. I barbecue in the snow. I just couldn’t be bothered to get the thing fired up and ready.

This recipe is best cooked indoors anyway so no one was disappointed. 🙂

Removing the back bone of the poussin is quite easy. Nothing goes to waste in my house so I used them to make a poussin stock for tomorrow night’s dinner –  pea soup.

If want to skip the boning stage, that’s not a problem. Just cook them as they were made. I like to serve my poussin flat though. I don’t really know why. I just do.

Carefully remove the bone with a sharp knife.

Season generously.

Brown the poussin in the hot olive oil.

Stir fry your cabbage and then place the poussin on top for the oven.

Remove the poussin and pour in the Madeira and butter to deglaze the pan.

All done!

Spatchcocked Poussin With Garlic and Madeira

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 poussin, backbone removed and flattened
• 1/2 cabbage (any type) shredded
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 100 ml Madeira
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Season the poussin generously with salt and pepper and the red chilli flakes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the poussin skin side down.
3. Flip the poussin over and add the chopped garlic and cabbage.
4. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes until the poussin is cooked through.
5. Remove the cooked poussin from the pan to rest and deglaze the pan with the Madeira.
6. Stir in the butter and then remove from the heat.
7. Top with the poussin, check for seasoning and serve immediately drizzled with some of the pan sauce.