How To Marinate And Roast Poussin

Step 1: Prepare the marinade a day in advance

To make the marinade, start by putting all the necessary ingredients into the bowl of a food processor; 4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, the juice of 1 lime, chopped coriander, 1/2 a fresh green chilli, 1 tsp ground cumin and 2 tbsp olive oil.

Step 2: Blend the ingredients together

Put the bowl onto the base of the food processor, add the lid and blend until the ingredients are well combined.

Step 3: Tie the birds

Take a piece of string and individually tie each bird firmly together.

Step 4: Marinate the poussins

Next, put the poussins in a bowl, pour over the marinade and rub it in. Tightly cover the bowl with cling film.

Step 5: Refrigerate

Place the covered bowl in the fridge and leave it there for a few hours or if possible overnight.

Step 6: Preheat the oven

The following day, or when you're ready to roast the poussins, start by preheating the oven to 200ºC (460ºF/ gas mark 6).

Step 7: Season the poussins and place them in the oven

Place the marinated poussins on a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and cover with the remaining marinade. Once the oven is hot, insert the tray.

Step 8: Cook for 1 hour

Leave the birds to roast for an hour.

Step 9: Prepare the spiced yoghurt

Just before removing the poussins from the oven, mix together the natural yoghurt with 1 tsp of lime pickle to create a delicious accompaniment for the dish.

Step 10: Remove the poussins from the oven, discard the string and serve.

When the poussins are fully roasted and have turned golden-brown, remove them from the oven and discard the string.

Serve while hot with the spiced yoghurt.