Poussins à la Tartare

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sturdy kitchen shears
• •Lidded charcoal or gas grill with two heat zones
• •Broad metal spatula or grill basket
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the sauce

   Set the prepared Sauce Tartare in the refrigerator until serving. It is a finished component here, reached for whole and served cold beside the hot birds, never warmed or spread beneath them. Give it one stir before it reaches the table so the emulsion returns to a soft, spoonable body.

2. 2

   Make a gentle fire

   Prepare a two-zone charcoal or gas grill, with one moderate direct-heat side and one side without flame beneath it. Close the lid and settle the temperature near 375°F (190°C), then clean and lightly oil the grate. The cool zone replaces the old kitchen's carefully managed charcoal grill; the hot zone is only for correcting the colour at the end.

   For indoor cooking, set the birds on a rack over a sheet pan in a 400°F (200°C) oven, then use the broiler briefly for the final colour. Keep the pan well below the broiler because mustard catches quickly.
3. 3

   Split and flatten

   If the butcher has not done it, cut down both sides of each backbone with sturdy kitchen shears and remove it. Turn each poussin breast-side up and press firmly on the breastbone until the bird lies flat. Trim any loose fat, pat every surface thoroughly dry, and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Flattening is not decoration: it brings the breasts and legs close enough to the same plane that they finish together.

   Ask the butcher to remove the backbones, but take them home for stock. Technique first, always; a modest poussin cooked with attention will beat an expensive one scorched over a fierce fire.
4. 4

   Mustard and crumb

   Brush both sides of each poussin with a thin, complete coat of Dijon mustard, reaching into the joints without leaving thick ridges. Press the fine breadcrumbs over the mustard, then brush or drizzle the melted butter evenly over the crumbs. Set the birds on a rack for 10 minutes so the coating adheres. If a bare patch appears, press on a pinch more crumb and moisten it with a few drops of butter. Ça se rattrape. Mustard, crumbs, and butter must remain distinct enough to form a crust; mixing them into a paste makes a heavy coating that slides away.

5. 5

   Grill off fire

   Lay the poussins bone-side down on the cool side of the grill, close the lid, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn them carefully with a broad spatula, preserving the coating, and cook skin-side down for another 10 to 14 minutes. The crust should deepen slowly from butter gold to an even Maillard bronze. If it darkens before the meat is ready, move the birds farther from the fire, lower the burners or close the charcoal vents slightly, and continue under the lid. Do not scrape off the crust. The fire was too close, not the coating wrong.

   If the crumb coating clings to the grate when you try to turn it, wait another minute. A properly browned crust releases more willingly than a pale one.
6. 6

   Correct the crust

   Check the thickest part of each thigh and breast with an instant-read thermometer, avoiding bone. Both must reach at least 165°F (74°C). If the birds are cooked but the coating remains pale, pass them over the direct-heat side for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, watching without turning away. This brief correction is the home equivalent of the salamander. If the crust threatens to scorch, return the birds to the cool side immediately; colour can be added, but bitterness cannot be taken out.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Transfer the poussins to a warm platter and rest them for 7 minutes without wrapping them tightly, which would soften the crumbs. Cut each bird through the breastbone into two portions and spoon the cold Sauce Tartare into a bowl beside the platter. The sauce belongs apart so every diner controls the sharp, cool counterpoint against the buttery crust. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A poussin should be small enough to cook through before its crumb coating grows too dark. Birds around 1¼ to 1½ pounds (575 to 680 g) are right; larger Cornish hens need longer indirect cooking and should not be hurried over direct flame.
• •Use fine fresh breadcrumbs made from a plain white loaf. Coarse crumbs leave gaps through which the mustard burns, while dry powdery crumbs form a hard shell. Rub fresh crumbs through your fingers or pulse them briefly until even.
• •Sauce Tartare must be cold and lively against the hot buttered crust. Keep it refrigerated until the birds have rested, then serve it in a bowl rather than pouring it over them.
• •A dry Loire Chenin Blanc or a light, lightly chilled Beaujolais handles the mustard and sharp sauce without bullying the delicate birds.
• •Leftover poussin keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days, though the crust softens. Reheat it uncovered on a rack in a 375°F (190°C) oven; the microwave turns the crumbs to paste.

Advance Preparation

• •The poussins can be split and flattened up to 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate them uncovered on a rack so their surfaces remain dry, then season only when you are ready to coat them.
• •Sauce Tartare can be prepared 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir it before serving; if it has tightened, loosen it with a teaspoonful of cold water.
• •The breadcrumbs can be made earlier in the day and kept covered at room temperature. Apply the mustard, crumbs, and butter no more than 20 minutes before grilling or the coating begins to soften.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 270g)