If you want to cook a whole chicken so succulently rich and seductively spiced it will make your guests forget any other they’ve ever tasted. Then, read on. The flavor of poussin is already delicate, and when brined in a salty orange juice solution for two hours, it is heavenly. I finish it off devilishly glazed with local honey that is liberally spiked with coarsely ground black peppercorns, cayenne and cumin seeds. It’s brushed and broiled under searing heat that renders the skin crisp and the meat still oozing juice.
Honey-Herbed Poussin with Glazed Carrots. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Poussin is literally French for a young spring chicken, and in the hands of a good Cajun cook it is as close to poultry perfection as you’re likely to get. A poussin is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 pounds in weight, and when you can, buy your poussin fresh from an Acadiana area farmer.
I find the young whole chickens in the poultry case at my local Rouse’s supermarket in Lafayette where they are described on the packaging as “100% Vegetarian Fed”, “No Added Antibiotics Ever” and “Raised Cage Free.” Or you can buy them online from D’Artagnan. I love to experiment with them and although my latest recipe defies conventional wisdom for cooking chicken, I believe it brings a Cajun twist to this bird that is magical.
Carrots accompany this dish and are drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and rolled in a combination of chile powder and dark brown sugar. To crown this dish, orange slices take a lofty perch on top of this bird. Simple and sinful, this dish will renew your passion for chicken.
Split chicken halves ready for serving.
- 2 (1.5 to 3-pound) spring chickens
- 1 quart orange juice
- 4 tablespoons salt
- Water
- ½ cup black peppercorns
- ½ cup cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup local honey
- Kosher salt
- 2 oranges, sliced thin
- 3 pounds fresh baby carrots
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- In a large container with a tight-fitting lid, place the chickens. Add the orange juice and salt. Pour in enough water to allow the marinade to cover the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or up to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Place on a platter and let come to room temperature.
- In a small skillet on medium heat, add the peppercorns and cumin seeds. Toast in the pan until you begin to smell them toasting but remove before they burn. In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, add them and crack the peppercorns and pulverize the cumin seeds. Pour the spices into a small bowl and add the cayenne pepper along with the honey. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the chicken with kosher salt and brush on the honey spice mixture. Cover all sides of the birds and the inside cavity. Move the chickens to a parchment-lined metal baking tray and add orange slices to the tops of the birds.
- With a vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin from the carrots and remove the stem and leaves. Place the carrots on a platter and coat them with olive oil. In a separate platter add the chili powder and brown sugar and stir to mix evenly. Add the carrots and roll in the spice mixture.
- Add the carrots to the baking tray and place several of the orange slices on top. Add any remaining orange slices to the inside cavity of the chickens.
- Place the tray in the oven and cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads 160ºF, about 50 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and move the carrots to a serving platter. Increase the oven temperature to broil and place the chicken back into the oven. Watch carefully as the top of the chicken begins to turn brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to remove the chicken before burning.
- For serving, move the chickens to a cutting board and cut each in half lengthwise. Serve a half chicken along with a portion of the glazed carrots.
Poussin perfection.
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