There are many versions of this classic French dish which is usually made with chicken pieces. Here I used a whole corn-fed poussin which comfortably serves two unless you are greedy. In the USA a Cornish game hen can be substituted.
Ingredients
Stage 1
1 tbsp vegetable oil
20g butter
1 poussin
2 shallots, halved (no need to peel)
1 medium carrot, chopped into chunks
1 stick of celery, chopped into chunks
A few sprigs of thyme
10 red peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 whole head of garlic sliced across the diameter (papery skin left intact)
500 ml cider (dry or medium)
1 tsp salt
Stage 2
1 red apple, cored and cut into wedges
40g butter
25ml calvados (or other brandy)
1 tbsp double cream
Salt to taste
Parsley and/or fresh thyme to garnish
Method
Stage 1
Joint the poussin so that each person is served a portion of breast and a leg. Pour some of the sauce on each serving plate and arrange the pieces of poussin, apple slices and half head of garlic on the top. Pour a little more sauce over the poussin. Garnish with a few of the reserved red peppercorns, and some parsley or thyme.
The poussin in the pot at the end of Stage 1:
Ingredients
Stage 1
1 tbsp vegetable oil
20g butter
1 poussin
2 shallots, halved (no need to peel)
1 medium carrot, chopped into chunks
1 stick of celery, chopped into chunks
A few sprigs of thyme
10 red peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 whole head of garlic sliced across the diameter (papery skin left intact)
500 ml cider (dry or medium)
1 tsp salt
Stage 2
1 red apple, cored and cut into wedges
40g butter
25ml calvados (or other brandy)
1 tbsp double cream
Salt to taste
Parsley and/or fresh thyme to garnish
Method
Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 170C.
- Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and brown the poussin on all sides.
- Place the remaining ingredients in a large pan and add the poussin. Bring to a simmer, cover then place in the oven and cook for 45 mins.
- Remove the poussin and the halved head of garlic and keep them warm. Reserve a few of the red peppercorns.
- Strain the cooking stock into a saucepan. Bring the stock to a simmer and cook until the stock is reduced by a third.
- Whilst the stock is reducing, add the butter to a frying pan and heat gently until it foams.
- Place the apple wedges in the pan and cook them on each side until lightly golden. Add the calvados to the pan and set alight to ‘flame’ the apples. Remove the apple slices and keep them warm.
- Stir the pan juices from the apples and the cream into the reduced stock to form the sauce. Heat gently and add salt to taste
Joint the poussin so that each person is served a portion of breast and a leg. Pour some of the sauce on each serving plate and arrange the pieces of poussin, apple slices and half head of garlic on the top. Pour a little more sauce over the poussin. Garnish with a few of the reserved red peppercorns, and some parsley or thyme.
The poussin in the pot at the end of Stage 1:
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