BULGUR-STUFFED
WITH PRESERVED LEMON–HONEY GLAZE
ACTIVE 35 MIN; TOTAL 3 HR 10 MIN
SERVES 4
Poussin turns tender, juicy, and
fragrant thanks to a Persian-
inspired, sweet spice marinade and
preserved lemon–honey glaze. The
dried fruit–studded bulgur filling
gives you a built-in side dish. One
poussin makes a perfect single
serving; if using plumper Cornish
hens, split each in half to serve two.
1 / 4 cup olive oil
1 / 4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2
lemons)
31 / 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 / 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 / 2 tsp. black pepper
4 (1-lb.) poussins or 2 (1^1 / 2 -lb.)
Cornish game hens
1 /^2 cup uncooked coarse or
medium bulgur, rinsed in cool
water and drained
1 / 4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 / 4 cup unsweetened dried
cranberries
11 / 4 cups lower-sodium chicken
broth, divided
1 / 4 cup salted roasted
pistachios, chopped
1 / 4 cup toasted walnuts,
chopped
1 / 4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley
1 / 4 cup honey
1 / 4 tsp. saffron threads
11 / 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced preserved
lemon peel
2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, torn
2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, torn- Whisk together olive oil, lemon
juice, 1^1 / 2 teaspoons salt, coriander,
cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and pep-
per in a large bowl. Sprinkle pous-
sins evenly with 1^1 / 2 teaspoons salt.
Add poussins to marinade, turning
to coat and rubbing marinade all
over birds, inside and out. Cover
and chill 2 hours. - About 1 hour before roasting the
birds, make the stuffing: Stir
together bulgur, apricots, cranber-
ries, and remaining^1 / 2 teaspoon salt
in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring
(^3) / 4 cup broth to a simmer in a small
saucepan over medium-high. Pour
hot broth over bulgur mixture. Let
stand until liquid is absorbed, about
1 hour. Fluff with a fork. (The bulgur
should still have a little tooth to it. It
will finish cooking inside the pous-
sins.) Add pistachios, walnuts, and
parsley; stir to combine.
- Preheat oven to 500°F. Remove
poussins from marinade, and pat
dry with paper towels. Discard mar-
inade. Stuff poussins evenly with
POUSSIN
Cara Chigazola-Tobin
CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF HONEY ROAD, BURLINGTON, VERMONTbulgur mixture (about^1 / 2 cup each).
Loosely tie legs together with
kitchen twine, and tuck wing tips
under. Place poussins on a wire
rack set inside a shallow roasting
pan or rimmed baking sheet.- Roast in preheated oven until
lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Decrease oven temperature to
350°F without opening oven door,
and roast until poussins are golden
brown, juices run clear when pous-
sin is pierced with a knife, and stuff-
ing temperature registers 160°F, 25
to 30 minutes. - Transfer poussins to a platter or
tray; cover to keep warm. Remove
wire rack from pan. Pour remaining
(^1) / 2 cup broth into pan with poussin
drippings; stir and scrape bottom
with a wooden spoon to loosen
browned bits. Pour broth mixture
into a small saucepan. Add honey
and saffron, and bring to a simmer
over medium-low, stirring often. Add
preserved lemon peel, and simmer
until syrupy, 5 to 8 minutes.
- To serve, divide poussins among
4 plates. If serving Cornish hens,
spoon about^1 / 2 cup stuffing onto
each of 4 plates. Cut Cornish hens in
half; divide among plates. Spoon
lemon-honey glaze over birds, and
garnish with mint and basil.
WINE Herby, peppery Lebanese red:
2015 Chateau Musar Musar Jeune
“Stuffing poultry with a mixture of grains, dried fruit, and nuts is very
common in Middle Eastern cuisine. At the same time, I’m a sucker for a
sticky-sweet barbecue sauce on poultry. That’s my jam! The combination
of honey and tart-salty preserved lemon works really well with the meaty
poussin. It’s like Levantine tradition meets American tradition.”117
DECEMBER 2018