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Sumac marinated spatchcock poussin with walnut sumac dressing, zhoug and cavolo crisps
Serves 4 (Start 1 day, or up to 5 days, before serving) Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4 corn-fed poussin l
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oi
For the marinade
- 1tsp sea salt flakes, plus a few extra pinches for the skin
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2tsp ground sumac, plus a few extra pinches for the skin
- 40g butter, at room temperature
For the walnut sumac dressing
- 1tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3tbsp white balsamic
- 1tbsp clear honey
- 2tsp ground sumac
- 6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½tsp sea salt flakes
- 80g walnut halves, chopped into small, even pieces
- 20g flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed and finely chopped
For the zhoug
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3 jalapeño chillies, 2 of them deseeded
- 1 large bunch coriander (approx. 30g after tougher base stems removed)
- 125ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to cover
- 10g basil leaves
- 1tsp freshly ground coriander
- 2tsp ground sumac sea salt flakes, to taste
For the cavolo crisps
- 8 cavolo nero stems
- 2tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½tsp pink Himalayan salt, crushed
- 1tsp ground sumac
Method
The day (or up to 5 days) before, make the walnut dressing. Put the mustard in a bowl and whisk in the balsamic, honey and sumac. Add the oil gradually, whisking well between each addition. Add the walnuts to the bowl along with the parsley. Season with the salt, to taste. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight or up to 5 days.
Up to 3 days before, make the zhoug. Put the garlic and chillies in a mini processor and whizz to chop. Add some of the coriander, a little of the oil and all the other ingredients and whizz again. Keep adding more fresh coriander and oil, a little at a time, as it processes down to a good texture. Season with sea salt flakes to taste.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with a slick of oil and cling film and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Up to a day before cooking, make the marinade for the poussin by mixing the salt and garlic together in a pestle and mortar and grinding to a smooth paste. Add the sumac and soft butter and mix well.
Remove any trussing string from the birds, ready to spatchcock. Place one poussin at a time on a board with the backbone uppermost. Using heavy kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the backbone and remove it. (Put the bones in a bag in the freezer, ready to use for making stock.) Flatten the carcass by pressing down on the breastbone. Wipe the underside clean with kitchen paper, rub in a little oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Carefully ease the breast skin away from the flesh and push in the marinade. Gently massage the skin once this is done to evenly distribute it. Rub a little oil over the skin side of the poussin and lay on a roasting tray, skin side down. Repeat with each bird. Keep in the fridge until ready to cook, or overnight.
Remove the poussin from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and allow to come up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6. Spoon over the remaining oil and lightly season with sea salt flakes and the few extra pinches of sumac. Roast for 30-35 minutes until cooked through, then remove and keep warm. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C F/Gas 4.
To make the cavolo nero crisps, strip the leaves from the hard stem in long, elegant pieces. Lay the pieces on a roasting tray and toss in the oil. Mix together the salt and sumac and scatter over evenly. Cook for around 3 minutes until crisp but not coloured.
Top the poussin with the cavolo crisps and serve with the zhoug and walnut dressing.
This recipe was taken from the January/February 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
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