Grilled Lemon Herb Poussins Recipes

GRILLED LEMON-HERB POUSSINS

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.

GRILLED CITRUS-MARINATED POUSSIN

Steps:

• Combine orange, lemon, oregano and wine in food processor, and puree. Add orange juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl.
• Place poussins in marinade, turning to coat well. Cover; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.
• Preheat grill. Grill poussins, turning once, until evenly browned and cooked through, about 45 minutes. Arrange on platter, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

GRILLED HERBED POUSSINS

Steps:

• Blend together herbs, oil, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until finely chopped, then rub all over poussins.
• Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
• Oil grill rack, then grill poussins, skin sides down first, directly over coals, turning once, until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Move poussins to area with no coals underneath and grill, covered, until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer poussins to a platter and let stand 10 minutes.

GRILLED POUSSINS WITH LEMON HERB BUTTER

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.