Poussin with Spiced Berry Sauce

This recipe would be excellent with partridge. You can also use other berries such as blackcurrants or raspberries.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1¼ hours

Ingredients:

Poussin

4 poussins (about 450g each)

1 medium orange, quartered

Fresh thyme

Olive oil

300ml hot chicken stock

Spiced Berry Sauce

20g butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

150ml red wine

4 tbsp Bottlegreen Spiced Berry Cordial

150g blackberries

1 tsp corn flour

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/mark 6. Rinse the poussin, and dry on kitchen paper. Season inside the cavity of each poussin and then place a portion of orange and three sprigs of thyme onto each. Place poussin in a roasting tin, brush the birds with oil, and then pour in the hot chicken stock. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes until the poussin are golden.

Meanwhile, start to make the sauce. Heat the butter in a medium pan, add the shallots and cook gently until softened. Pour in the wine, bring to boil and continue to boil until reduced to about 4 tablespoons. Take the pan off the heat.

Lift the poussin from the roasting tin and keep warm in the oven. Pour the juices into a separating jug. Once settled, pour the juices through a sieve into the saucepan, leaving behind the fat.

Bring the sauce back to the boil and simmer 3-4 minutes to reduce by about one-third. Stir in the Spiced Berry Cordial and the blackberries. Blend in the corn flour with a tablespoon of water, stir into the sauce, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season if needed. Place a poussin on each serving plate and spoon the berry sauce around. Ready to serve.