High smoke point cooking oil or lardfor cooking the poussin
1recipe spruce brinefollows
1recipe apple mustard saucefollows-optional
Instructions
Lay the poussin breast down on a cutting board. Make an incision from top to bottom along the backbone, then, working carefully, remove the backbone, ribcage, and thigh bones, also remove the tips of the wings, if desired (this is mostly for aesthetics).
Add the poussin to the brine, weight it down with a plate to keep it under the brine, and refrigerate it for 48 hours.
When it's time to cook the poussin, remove it from the brine and pat it dry completely with paper towels. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan until smoking, then add the poussin, skin side down to the pan.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the poussin is just done, and the juices from the thigh run clear when pierced, about 15 minutes. Place the pan with the poussin in it back on the burner and heat it again gently (this helps to allow the skin to release if it has stuck at all to the pan). Remove the poussin from the pan, transfer it to a heated serving dish and serve immediately with the apple mustard sauce on the side.
Notes
You can use poussin, cornish game hens, or just about any piece of poultry for this.