Chef recommends… Whole baby Poussin with balsamic roast peach, rocket and parmesan

Lace Market Hotel’s head chef, Ben Chaplin, lets us in on his favourite dish of the season and how to recreate it at home.

Ben says: “August marks the start of the glorious Poussin season and what better way to celebrate this tasty bird than with this fantastic dish, full of fresh summery flavour. It’s also the season for the best peaches – the combination of sweet and savoury is a match made in culinary heaven.

“This is an ideal dish to recreate at home in the kitchen or on the barbecue, perfect for a warm summer evening paired with a crisp white wine.”

Ingredients (serves 1)
• 1 baby poussin
• 10 grams of chopped rosemary
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon
• 1 table spoon of chopped garlic
• Salt & pepper
• 1 peach
• 20ml white balsamic vinegar
• 1 hand full of rocket
• 20 grams of shaved parmesan

Method
1. Place baby poussin on a board on its back. Using a 6-8” knife remove the spine of the poussin by cutting through the bones on each side. Using scissors, cut away any remaining sharp bones. Push down on the chopping board to flatten the poussin.

2. Finely chop the rosemary & garlic, mix into the olive oil & massage into the poussin. Leave to marinade for 2-4 hours.

3. Place the poussin in a grill pan or on the barbecue, skin side down for 2 minutes, turn 90 degrees & grill for another two minutes to create nice square chargrill bar marks. Finish off in the oven for 10-15mins. Make sure the leg joints are cooked through (be sure the juices run clear).

4. Half the peach and remove the stone. Place cut side down on a baking tray and drizzle in white balsamic vinegar & season. Oven bake for 8-10 minutes.
5. Dress rocket salad & season adding long, fresh shavings of parmesan just before serving.