Ingredients

• 2cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
• 2cm/1in piece galangal (if galangal is not available
• use double the quantity of fresh root ginger)
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 dried chillies
• soaked in hot water to soften
• 5 shallots
• roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 lemongrass stalks
• tough outer leaves removed
• 4 poussin or baby chickens
• 300ml/10½fl oz coconut cream
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 limes
• juice only
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste
• 3 fresh red chillies
• seeds removed
• finely chopped
• 4cm/1½in piece of fresh root ginger
• grated
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
• mashed (available in Asian and Indian supermarkets)
• 1 lime
• juice only
• 5 tbsp boiling water
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ small cucumber
• cut into triangular chunks
• ¼ fresh pineapple
• peeled
• core removed
• cut into cubes
• 1 firm unripe mango
• peeled
• stone removed
• cut into thin wedges
• 1 firm unripe papaya
• peeled
• seeds removed
• cut into strips
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• core removed
• cut into thin wedges
• 2 spring onions
• finely sliced
• ½ bunch fresh mint
• leaves only
• torn (plus extra to garnish)
• 100g/3½oz roasted blanched peanuts
• coarsely crushed

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and preheat a large griddle pan until hot.
• For the poussins
• place the softened chillies
• shallots
• garlic
• ginger
• galangal and salt into a food processor and blend. Add a little water if necessary to form a smooth paste. (Blend the hardest ingredients first
• then add the softer ones to the processor to ensure the paste is very smooth.)
• Bruise the lemongrass with a rolling pin
• then place a stalk inside the body cavity of each poussin.
• Rub half of the spice paste over both the insides and outsides of the poussins.
• Place the remaining spice paste into a pan. Add the coconut cream and sugar and place over a medium heat. Bring to a boil
• then reduce the heat to simmer
• until the liquid has reduced by half.
• Place the poussins onto the hot griddle pan and griddle for 3-4 minutes on all sides to achieve golden-brown griddle marks all over.
• Transfer the poussins to a roasting tray and place into the oven to roast for 15-20 minutes
• or until completely cooked through. During cooking
• baste the poussins with the reduced coconut cream and spice mixture every five minutes.
• Remove the poussins and leave to rest for 4-5 minutes in a warm place. Before serving
• pour all of the juices from the roasting tray over the poussins and drizzle with the lime juice.
• For the dressing
• reduce the oven temperature to 180C/365F/Gas 4.
• Place the shrimp paste into kitchen foil and wrap up to seal. Bake in the oven for ten minutes
• or until it becomes nutty and drier (it should smell aromatic rather than pungent).
• Grind the chillies and ginger together in a pestle and mortar.
• Add the roasted shrimp paste and grind again with the pestle and mortar to combine well.
• Add the tamarind pulp
• lime juice
• water
• fish sauce and sugar and mix well.
• For the rojak salad
• place the cucumber
• pineapple
• mango
• papaya and apple into a bowl and mix together well.
• Add the spring onion and mint and mix through gently.
• Add half of the peanuts and stir through gently.
• Pour over the dressing and stir again to coat well.
• To serve
• place a poussin onto each plate. Add a couple of spoonfuls of salad and garnish with the remaining peanuts and a few mint leaves.