Ingredients

• 4 poussins
• 100g/3½oz button mushrooms
• 200g/7oz shallots
• 50g/2oz garlic
• 50g/2oz thyme
• finely chopped
• 3 tsp breadcrumbs
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 25g/1oz pancetta
• 2 slices of pancetta for wrapping
• 100g/3½oz flat leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 50g/2oz butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1kg/2¼lb potatoes eg. Jersey Royals
• 100g/3½oz pancetta
• fried off and diced
• 2 tsp cornflour
• picked thyme
• 1 bunch baby carrots
• 1 bunch baby turnips
• 1 bunch baby leeks
• 100g/3½oz green beans

Directions

• To prepare the poussin
• take off the legs
• cut off the carcass to leave the breast on the crown. Scrape away the wishbone and trim away the wing bone.
• Take the thigh bones out of the legs and trim off the knuckle of the drumstick (you can leave the bone in
• but it won t leave you much room for the stuffing).
• Leave in the fridge until ready to fill with the mushroom farce.
• For the mushroom farce
• finely chop the mushrooms
• shallots
• pancetta and garlic.
• Fry the pancetta until the fat starts to run out on the bacon. Add the butter
• garlic and shallots
• cook for a few minutes and then add the mushrooms and thyme.
• Cook the mushrooms until they are soft
• add the breadcrumbs and season.
• When cool fill the chicken legs. Note: The consistency should be pliable and not too crumbly and dry.
• Re-shape the legs then wrap in pancetta and secure with cocktail sticks.
• For the herb butter
• blend all the ingredients together in a blender until you have a brilliant green colour.
• Lift the breast skin off the poussin and fill with the butter. Pull the skin down
• season and wrap in tin foil.
• Roast the legs and breast in a moderate oven (200C/400F/Gas 6) for 20 minutes
• or until cooked through. (The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part with a skewer.) Remove from the oven and set aside to rest.
• For the rösti
• peel and grate the potatoes
• squeeze out any excess water
• then add the bacon
• thyme and cornflour. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a small frying pan heat up a little oil and add the potato mix. Fry on both sides to give colour.
• For the vegetable garnish
• make the emulsion by adding butter to a pan with water
• heat up until the butter has melted
• put to one side.
• Scrub clean all the vegetables
• blanch and re-fresh in iced water.
• Top and tail the beans
• blanch and re-fresh in iced water.
• Any green vegetables should be put into boiling water and then cooked. Other vegetables can be put into cold water and then brought to the boil.
• To serve
• warm the chicken in the oven
• eat up the vegetables in a little melted butter and warm through the rosti. Arrange neatly on the plate and garnish with watercress.