Poussins with Sherry, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Serves: To serve 4

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Ready In: 50 mins

3 oz - raisins

14 fl oz - medium sherry

4 - poussins (about 1lb each)

- olive oil

- salt & freshly-ground black pepper

1 oz - toasted pine nuts

Place the raisins in a small pan along with half the sherry. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat.
After washing them, place the poussins in a roasting tin or a broad, shallow ovenproof dish. Drizzle olive oil over each bird and season generously with salt a freshly-ground black pepper. Place in the middle of a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400°F - 200°C).
After 20 minutes add the unused half of the sherry.
After a further 10 minutes, add the raisins and the sherry that they have been soaking in. By this stage, the raisins will have plumped up quite a lot.
15 minutes later (after total cooking of 45 minutes) check the birds for doneness. They should still be moist and the juices that run when pierced between the leg and the rest of the body should be clear. If there is any trace of pinkness, cook for a few more minutes and check again.
Transfer the poussins to a warm serving dish and spoon the cooking juices and raisins around and over them. Scatter with pine nuts.