Roast poussin with aoili and fries
Enjoy a succulent whole roasted poussin with crispy shoestring fries and garlicky aioli – what could be better?

Ingredients
For the poussin
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú butter
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsleyÌý
- ½ lemon, juice only, plus ¼ lemon wedgeÌý
- 1 poussin
- a few fresh thyme sprigsÌý
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 3 fresh sage leavesÌý
- 1 bay leafÌý
- ½ chicken stock cube
For the stuffing
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú butterÌý
- 2 shallots, dicedÌý
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thymeÌý
- 150g/5½oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 3 fresh sage leaves, choppedÌý
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsleyÌý
- 1 free-range egg, plus 1 free-range egg yolk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the aioli
- 2 free-range egg yolksÌý
- 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustardÌý
- 100ml/3½fl oz olive oilÌý
- 100ml/3½fl oz vegetable oilÌý
- lemon juice, to tasteÌý
- pinch saltÌýand white pepper
For the fries
Method
To make the poussin, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Add the butter, parsley and lemon juice to a food processor and blend, or use a handheld stick blender. Spoon this mixture into a piping bag. Use your finger to carefully separate the skin and meat of the poussin, then squeeze the mixture under the skin.
Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon wedge, garlic, sage, bay and stock cube.
Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat then add the poussin and allow to colour on all sides until golden.
Meanwhile, to make the stuffing, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat then add the shallots, garlic and thyme. Sweat until soft. This will take 5–8 minutes.
Stir in the breadcrumbs, sage and parsley. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the eggs and season with salt and black pepper. Place into an ovenproof dish and place the chicken on top.
Roast in the pre-heated oven for around 30–40 minutes until cooked through and the juices run clear. Allow to rest for 10–15 minutes and keep the juices.
To make the aioli, blitz the garlic, egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice together in a food processor. Gradually drizzle in the olive and vegetable oil to thicken, making sure each drop of oil has been incorporated before adding more.
To make the fries, heat a deep fat fryer to 160C and fry the chips for 4 minutes. Turn up the heat to 180C and cook for a further 4 minutes.
Heat the butter in a small saucepan with the rosemary and garlic and spoon over the finished chips.
Serve the chicken family style with the chips and aioli on the side.