A Little Chicken

A beautiful day here in Auckland and I finally made it in to the garden.  So behind in my planting! Herb garden revitalised with thyme, parcel, sage, oregano, marjoram, garlic chives, chervil, calendula and a new one for me salad burnet - the young leaves can be used in salads and apparently tastes like young cucumber. 

Plus a few tomato plants- Black Krim and Roma, rocket and cucumber planted out too.  This week a delivery from Kings Seeds so zucchini - Ambassador, Romanesco, Gold Rush and Rampicanta , squash, several tomatoes - Gardener's Delight, Lime Green Salad, Tigerella and Sugar Plum, Baxter Early Bush Cherry and beans - Broad, Top Crop and Roquefort all sown. Bring on the summer bounty. So hoping for another bumper crop of tomatoes.  A few sunflower seeds scattered around the place along with some coriander seeds, slow bolt so hopefully lost of fresh coriander to come. If you're looking for interesting things to grow check them out here, the most incredible array of seeds on offer.

Saw these cute little poussins so thought I would give them a go.  And post a little Mexican fiesta with the girls a little restorative Sunday roast definitely in order. Culinary inspiration today comes from Giada and her Roasted Citrus Poussin with barely any changes.  Such a glorious sunny day wanted to keep the roast fresh and light and the mix of lemon and orange, juice and zest, really appealed.  Along with fresh thyme and mint to to liven things up.

Mint: Love mint it just adds such a zing to so many dishes. It is a good appetizer and promotes digestion.It also soothes stomach in cases of indigestion, inflammation etc.

Mint Likes: salads, peas, potatoes, yoghurt, sour cream, vinegar, capers,olives, dried tomatoes, feta, ricotta, lemon, orange, basil, pineapple, strawberries (Truly!)

Roasted Citrus Poussin

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons orange zest, from 2 medium oranges 

2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 lemons  

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves  

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves  

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock - I used vegetable stock as I had it on hand.

2 tablespoons Marsala wine or dry sherry  

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice  

1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants ( I didn't add these, for me it really didn't add anything, but each to their own :))

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour  

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the game hens and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, shallots, orange zest, lemon zest, thyme, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the zest mixture over the skins of the game hens. Place the remainder of the zest mixture under the skin and into the cavities of the hens. Using kitchen twine, truss the legs together. Place the hens in a shallow 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberries. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear. Remove the game hens and set aside. Place the flour in a small saucepan. Whisk in the pan juices. Bring the juices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

 

To serve, remove the kitchen twine and place the hens on 2 serving plates. Drizzle with the citrus-herb sauce.

Delish! Really orange and lemony and the stock and Marsala ensures that you have a wonderfully moist chook. What really makes this special is the sauce, it is full of flavour and the orange and lemon really shine through. A well tasty way to do roast chicken.

Yum!