Change up your chicken dinners with my easy roast poussin recipe. Incredibly easy to make all in one pot and perfect for date night or an impressive dinner. You can also use Cornish Hens in this recipe!
3banana shallots or one medium onion, finely diced
2garlic cloves, minced
1lemon, juice and zest
1tspsalt
320g(2 cups) orzo
3cupschicken stock / broth(from 2 stock cubes)
2tbspolive oil
2poussins or up to 4(450g / 1 pound each) see notes
Salt and pepper to season
Spring onions, finely sliced
lime wedgesto serve
grated parmesanto taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat the butter in a large casserole dish. Add the shallots and cook over low heat, stirring, for about five minutes or until slightly softened.
Add in the minced garlic, lemon juice and zest then stir in the orzo, coating it in the butter.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Place the poussin on top of the orzo and brush with olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme.
Transfer to the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, checking occasionally to see if you need to top the pan with some water. The poussin is cooked when the internal temperature is 75°C (167°F) checked with an instant read thermometer. The juices should run clear.
Rest for 10 minutes. Check the orzo for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions, parmesan and extra lemon zest.
Halve the poussin and serve with the orzo or cook one per person for a more satisfying meal!
Notes
Allow one poussin (450g/1 pound) per person. If you are using a larger chicken or Cornish hens you can roast two and slice in half to serve.
Do not rinse the chicken, simply pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to wash your hands, tools and any surfaces when preparing raw poultry.
Save the poussin carcasses to use in my chicken carcass soup or to make chicken stock.
Orzo absorbs a lot of liquid so make sure to check whether the pan is getting a bit dry while roasting.