Poussins With Fruity Rice Stuffing
This dish has been devised which is made of marinated baby chickens stuffed with rice and dried fruits. You can complete the meal with Pilau or Cardamom Rice and a salad. The rich stuffing of this recipe adds its flavor and taste.
Poussins With Fruity Rice Stuffing
For the rice stuffing:
6 Oven-ready poussins
Garlic cloves, finely chopped 2
Medium onion, finely chopped 1
Celery stalk, trimmed and finely sliced 1
Olive oil 2 tablespoon
Freshly chopped mint and parsley 2 tablespoon
Mixed spice 1 1/2 teaspoon
Dried oregano and mint or basil 1 teaspoon
Port 225 ml/8 fl oz
Chicken stock 350 ml/12 fl oz
Butter, melted 50 g/2 oz
Raisins 125 g/4 oz
Long-grain white rice, cooked 200 g/7 oz
Ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped 125 g/4 oz
Walnut halves, lightly toasted and chopped 50 g/2 oz
Unsweetened canned chestnuts, chopped 225 g/8 oz
Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To garnish:
Fresh herbs
Orange wedges
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. To make the stuffing, place the port, raisins and apricots in a bowl and leave for 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, mixed spice, herbs and chestnuts and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice, half the orange rind and juice and the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes until most liquid is absorbed.
Drain the raisins and apricots, reserving the port. Stir into the rice with the walnuts, mint, parsley and seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and cool.
Rinse the poussin cavities, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Lightly fill the cavities with the stuffing. Tie the legs of together, tucking in the tail. Form any extra stuffing into balls.
Place in roasting tins with stuffing balls and brush with melted butter. Drizzle over the remaining butter, remaining orange rind and juice and port. Roast in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden and cooked, basting every 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter, cover with tinfoil and rest. Pour over any pan juices. Garnish with herbs and orange wedges. Serve with the stuffing.
This delicious, fruity rice stuffed poussin recipe is a brilliant summer roast recipe. Serving all the poussin together on a platter made it a real showstopper.
