We love Middle Eastern Food! There are so many rich flavours and ingredients to explore that we never tire of exploring its kitchen. The Persian (Iranian) kitchen uses liberal doses of pistachios, dates, figs and pomegranates. What is not to love?
Inspired by the tastes of Persia and the Middle East, this stuffed Poussin or Chicken is very rich in flavour with dates, prosciutto and mixed nuts combining to make a very rich stuffing. It was delicious with the Persian Avocado Salad that we created to go with it too!
Ingredients
- 1 large poussin (or small chicken)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- a pinch of sea salt
- a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves
- handful of thyme sprigs (exact amount does not matter as it will just add aroma)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp ghee or butter
Stuffing
- 75g pitted dates
- 30g blenched almonds
- 30g cashew nuts
- 2 slices parma ham / prosciutto
Directions
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees fahrenheit)
- Chop up all of the ingredients for the stuffing into small pieces. Alternatively, place all stuffing ingredients in a food processor and pulse to chop roughly.
- Stuff the poussin (or chicken) with the mixture and tie the bird closed using kitchen string.
- Place the bird breast side down into an oven tray and brush with coconut oil, ghee and 1/2 the lemon juice. Sprinkle over a pinch of course sea salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the garlic (unpeeled) and the thyme to the tray.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for around 35 minutes depending on the size of your bird. It should be golden brown and crispy on the side that is visible to you when you open the oven.
- Turn the bird over and baste with the rest of the lemon juice and a little more coconut oil. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the top of the chicken is also golden brown and crispy.
- When the chicken is ready, leave it to rest for a few minutes before carving and serving it.
- Serve with the Persian Avocado salad and some sweet potato chips from the Air Fryer
Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Bony King – Wild Flowers