A great way to use up stale bread - this tray bake is very easy to make. It would work equally well using chicken thighs and/or legs. The bread is a delight because it becomes crispy in some parts juice laden in others and the roasted garlic cloves are lovely to squidge out on the plate. I think its best served with a crispy green salad. A honey vinaigrette on the salad would be perfect to contrast with the lemony poussin.
To make this vegan, substitute large portabello mushrooms for the poussin and add a good drizzle of oil over them.
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 x poussin (similar to U.S. Cornish game hen)
Approx. 75 g of stale bread
2 large banana shallots
1 x head of garlic
7 x pitted green olives
7 x caperberries
7 x thin slices of lemon
A pinch of saffron
Oil (rapeseed oil or olive oil)
Small glass of white wine
Sprigs of thyme
Salt
Method
To make this vegan, substitute large portabello mushrooms for the poussin and add a good drizzle of oil over them.
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 x poussin (similar to U.S. Cornish game hen)
Approx. 75 g of stale bread
2 large banana shallots
1 x head of garlic
7 x pitted green olives
7 x caperberries
7 x thin slices of lemon
A pinch of saffron
Oil (rapeseed oil or olive oil)
Small glass of white wine
Sprigs of thyme
Salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 170 C.
- Place the saffron in a small bowl and cover in a little hot water.
- Tear the bread into bite sized chunks and scatter in the baking tray/dish.
- Place the poussin on top of the torn bread.
- Slice the shallots lengthways, trim the base and pull off the brown skin.
- Slice the head of garlic across the diameter.
- Arrange the shallots, caper berries, olives, lemon slices and garlic around the poussin.
- Scatter with thyme sprigs and drizzle generously with the oil.
- Pour the saffron with its soaking water over the poussin.
- Sprinkle with a little salt over the poussin.
- Pour the wine into the baking tray.
- Bake for 45 - 50 mins.
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