North African Spiced Poussin over Coals with Smashed Chats and Fennel Salt - Chef Recipe by Dominic Smith

Ingredients

Cure Mixture:

4 whole poussin (spatchcocks) butterflied, backbone and neck removed
1.2 kg rock salt
4 lemons, grated finely on a micro plane
10 sprigs thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
1.2 kg brown or white sugar
Berbere spice to taste
Chipotle mayo to serve

Smashed Chats and Fennel Salt:

1 kg baby new potatoes (chats)
3 Tbs fennel seeds, toasted and ground
125 g pink salt
3 lemons, zested into julienne strips
Vegetable oil to deep fry
Shredded flat leaf parsley to serve

Cucumber Salad and Verjuice Dressing:

60 g Dijon mustard
125 ml Semillon verjuice
125 ml lemon infused extra virgin olive oil
2 large eshalots, shaved on a mandolin
4 small Lebanese cucumbers, roughly chopped
2 cups picked watercress

Method

Place salt, lemon zest, thyme and bay leaf in a food processor. Process until combined and salt mixture is fragrant, transfer into a large metal bowl, add sugar and mix until combined. Take a large rectangular baking tray with high sides and evenly spread 1/3 of cure mixture over the base. Place poussin, breast side up and sprinkle over remaining mixture, covering completely. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Remove poussin from cure, wash under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Preheat an immersion circulator to 75 C. Liberally sprinkle each poussin with Berbere spice, drizzle with oil and vacuum seal individually. Place vacuum-sealed poussin in water bath and cook for 2 hours.

Place chats in a saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 25 minutes or until chats begin to crack and are cooked through, drain well. Place toasted and ground fennel seeds in a small bowl with pink salt and lemon zest, mix to combine.

Place mustard into 1 L jug with verjuice. Using a stick blender, blend mustard and verjuice, gradually adding oil until well combined and emulsified; season with salt and pepper. Place eshalots, cucumber and watercress in a large bowl, when ready to serve add dressing and toss to combine.

Pre-heat a barbeque to high heat, remove poussin from bags, drizzle with oil and place on grill, skin side down. Cook, turning frequently, for 8-10 minutes or until well charred. Remove from heat and rest for 5-10 minutes, loosely covered with foil.

To serve, divide poussin, cucumber salad and potatoes onto four warm plates. Sprinkle chats with parsley, lemon and fennel salt. Serve immediately with chipotle mayo.

Recipe provided by Bills Fishhouse + Bar