50 mins
Poussins with Sherry, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
Recipe by Graham
One of my favourites, poussins are great when you invite friends round for a meal, and no hassle to cook. This recipe is good with couscous or small olive-roasted potatoes.
Poussins are small, immature chickens, sometimes called spring chickens They weigh about 400 to 500g (about 1 lb). Because the bird is only four to six weeks old, the flavour has not developed and there is not much flesh on the bones, but one bird is perfect for a single serving, and served using this recipe, the flavours will immeditely develop.
Pea, Ham and Boursin Clafoutis 
Baked Sausages with Apples, Raisins & Cider Ingredients for Poussins with Sherry, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Poussins with Sherry, Raisins, and 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.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Try to find a dish into which the birds sit snugly together since, if there is a lot of space between them, the juices will evaporate.
Poussins are a light meat, so it won't surprise you to learn that white wine is generally a more flexible match, with smooth dry whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay being the best choiceReviews of Poussins with Sherry, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
| August 17 2020 I've got to agree with what a previous reviewer said. This is extremely easy to make, but looks like a million dollars on the plate. Plenty of time to prepare the veg while the poussins were cooking, Rafeeda (5 reviews) |
April 23 2020 My god, what a revelation! I'd always imagined a dish like this would be horribly complicated, but it is really so easy, and the raisins are soaking while the birds cook, so no waiting time either. Definitely will be doing this one again soon. spainho (6 reviews) |
What To Eat Tonight
Lamb is sometimes thought of as "tough" meat but, properly cooked, it is one of the finest meats for both everyday and when entertaining.
Those wonderful beasts that just scream for something hot and tasty between toasted bread or buns. Once tasted, never forgotten!
Chicken, that most tender and versatile of foods, deserves a place of honor in the chef's 'keepers' file. Take a look at some of these.
Other Chicken Recipes
In southern China from where this recipe originates, the words Chow Mein literally mean "stir-fried noodles" and it is a very popular dish worldwide.
I've seen lots of different 'versions' of Coq au Vin de Bourgogne and most of them should have been ashamed to call themselves by that name!
An old fashioned, traditional Chicken Pot Pie, made from a whole chicken, freshly cut vegetables, and a flaky homemade crust.
