Roasted Poussins and Potatoes

Here I use salt from Mallorca that’s infused with hibiscus – it’s floral and delicious, but regular salt is more than okay.

SERVES: 2
TIME: 1 hour

2 poussins (Cornish hens)
coarse salt
1 lemon
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Mallorcan hibiscus salt
freshly ground black pepper
a dozen small creamer potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 400°F (on convection if possible).

Rub each poussin with coarse salt and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Grate the zest from the lemon, being sure not to get any of the pith. Reserve the lemon. Make a paste of the zest, 3/4 of the minced garlic, the butter, hibiscus salt, and a few grinds of coarse pepper. Using your fingertips, separate the skin from the breast of each poussin and massage half of the butter mixture under the skin of each bird.

Meanwhile, steam the potatoes for seven minutes. Cut them in half and toss in a roasting pan with the olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt and pepper. Lay the poussins on top. Cut your reserved lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the birds and stuff the squeezed halves inside the cavities. Sprinkle the birds with a good grind of black pepper and a pinch of coarse salt. Roast for 40 minutes, or until browned and cooked through (a thermometer should register 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh). Take the poussins out and let them rest. Toss potatoes with the thyme, return to the oven and roast for an additional five minutes or until crispy. Toss the potatoes with the remaining minced garlic and serve.