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.