How To Marinate And Roast Poussin

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Prepare the marinade a day in advance

The poussins need to be marinated the day before cooking or at least few hours 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 3: 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 4: Tie the birds

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

Step 5: 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 6: Refrigerate

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

Step 7: 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 8: 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 9: Cook for 1 hour

Leave the birds to roast for an hour.

Step 10: 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 11: 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.