Best Grilled Lemon Herb Poussins Recipes
GRILLED POUSSINS WITH LEMON HERB BUTTER
This is the ideal way to prepare young chickens, since there are two safeguards against their drying out (always a risk with small birds). The herbed butter slipped beneath the skin melts, basting and flavoring the meat as it cooks; the gentle, indirect heat lightly chars the skin without toughening the meat. As a result, every bite is juicy and perfectly seasoned.
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Stir together 1 stick softened butter, thyme, rosemary, zest, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until combined well.
- Trim necks of poussins flush with bodies if necessary. Rinse poussins inside and out and pat dry. Discard any excess fat from opening of cavities, then sprinkle cavities with a total of 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Starting at cavity end of each bird, gently slide an index finger between skin and flesh of breasts and legs to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Using a teaspoon measure or small spoon, slide 1 teaspoon herb butter under skin of each breast half and each drumstick (4 teaspoons per poussin), using your finger on outside of skin to push butter out of spoon.
- Put 1 lemon wedge and 3 thyme sprigs into cavity of each poussin, then tie legs together with kitchen string and tuck wing tips under body. Arrange in a large pan. Pat poussins dry, then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon salt.
- Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light charcoal (80 to 100 briquettes) in chimney starter and pour evenly over 2 opposite sides of bottom rack, leaving about an 8-inch-wide space in center of bottom rack free of coals. When charcoal fire is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack for 3 to 4 seconds), remove poussins from pan and arrange in center of lightly oiled grill rack with no coals underneath and cook, covered with lid, until thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 170°F, 35 to 50 minutes. (Add more briquettes if necessary during grilling to maintain heat.)
- Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce to moderately high. Turn off 1 burner (middle burner if there are 3) and put poussins on lightly oiled rack above shut-off burner. Remove poussins from pan, then grill, covered with lid, until thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 170°F, 35 to 45 minutes.
GRILLED LEMON-HERB POUSSINS
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Prepare a charcoal grill (with lid) or preheat a gas grill on medium heat.
- Stir together softened butter, zest, chopped thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper with a fork.
- Rinse poussins and pat dry. Season cavities with salt and pepper. Working from cavity end of each bird, run your fingers between skin and flesh of breasts and legs to loosen skin without tearing. Push lemon butter under skin and massage skin from outside to spread butter evenly over breasts and onto legs.
- Insert a thyme sprig and 2 lemon wedges into cavity of each poussin, then tie legs together with kitchen string. Brush birds with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
- When fire is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack 3 to 4 seconds), place birds, breast sides up, on grill rack and cover grill. Roast, turning every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 170°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer birds to a platter and discard string, then let stand 10 minutes.
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