This dish looks and tastes spectacular. It is perfect for a dinner party as it can be prepared ahead up to the step 8 then lay the tomatoes on top and cook for 30 minutes to finish off before serving. Remember though, that the Poussin do need to be marinated overnight before starting the cooking process. The stuffing is made with some Keema Curry (see favourites) and I serve mine with Balti Potatoes (see favourites). It is like having an Asian Sunday lunch. Fantastic!
I remember the first time I made this. My brother and his girlfriend were coming to stay for the weekend and we planned to go to a local Country Show on the Sunday. I used a whole chicken for the recipe on this occasion and set the oven timer so it would cook while we were out, ready for the final stage on our return. The wonderful smells met us at the door and the flavours were indescribable. The only problem I had was carving the bird. It was really tender and falling off the bone so dishing up was a bit messy. It was my husband who suggested using Poussin instead of a whole chicken. It worked perfectly.
Whole curried Poussin Serves 2 (easily doubled)
- 2 Poussin
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 inch piece of root ginger, chopped
- 4 fl oz natural yogurt
- Juice of half lemon
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- salt to taste
- small handful chopped fresh coriander
- 1-2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 8 oz Keema Curry
- 8 oz plain cooked rice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 brown cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 4 peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- Blend the onion, ginger, yogurt and lemon juice in a processor until smooth. Add a little water if necessary to make a thick pouring consistency. Put the Poussin in a shallow dish and coat, inside and outside, with the yogurt mix. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to marinade overnight.
- Grind the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns to a powder then mix with the Keema Curry and cooked rice to make the stuffing. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- When the Poussin have marinated heat the oil in a large, ovenproof skillet with a lid. Remove the Poussin from the marinade, reserving any marinade left over, and brown them on all sides. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool, leaving the oil and any marinade in the pan for later.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- When the Poussin are cool, stuff with the rice stuffing.
- Add the garlic, chilli, coriander, cumin and turmeric to the pan with any remaining marinade and salt to taste. Simmer gently then add about 1/4 pint of water slowly, to allow it to thicken between additions.
- Return the Poussin to the pan and spoon over the sauce. Cover and bake in the oven for about 1 hour, basting every now and again.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the Poussin with coriander. Cover the breasts of the Poussin with the tomato slices. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have formed a dry crust. Skim off any excess oil from the sauce and serve the Poussin with the sauce.
Related articles
- Keema curry – so versatile and great for kids! (tastyadvice.wordpress.com)
Tasty Advice 