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Meat, Busy evenings

Roast poussins with potatoes

Roast poussins with potatoes means one whole poussin per person, stuffed with lemon and herbs, roasted with potato wedges underneath. For 4 people, it takes 65 minutes and is rated easy, at about €3.80 per person. The key to success is a bone dry skin before roasting and basting the birds regularly in the oven.

Tonight, one little golden poussin per person, roasted with herbs alongside crispy potatoes, makes for a feast without the effort.

Roast poussins with potatoes
Total time
1 h 05
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
670 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

One whole poussin per person is a nice change from carving a big chicken in a hurry. The skin turns golden and crisp while the breast stays moist thanks to the lemon, garlic, and thyme tucked inside. The potatoes roast right underneath, soaking up the poultry juices and picking up the flavor of rosemary along the way.

This is the kind of dish that asks for very little effort but still feels like a proper Sunday roast, even on a random weeknight. Kids love getting their own little bird on the plate, and the adults appreciate not having much else to cook alongside. It's a full family meal with no sauce to watch over and no tricky timing.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Poussins 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Waxy potatoes 1 kg
  • Garlic 1
  • Thyme 6 sprigs
  • Rosemary 3 sprigs
  • Lemon 1

Pantry

  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and take the poussins out of the fridge so they lose their chill.

    Poultry that's not cold from the fridge cooks more evenly.

  2. Slide a piece of lemon, a sprig of thyme, and a garlic clove inside each poussin, then brush them with oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.

    Slip a little oil and herbs under the breast skin for an extra moist breast.

  3. Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges, toss them with oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and spread them in a large roasting dish.

    The more even the wedges, the more evenly they brown.

  4. Set the poussins on top of the potatoes and roast. 50 min

    Baste them with their juices every fifteen minutes, the skin turns lacquered.

  5. Let rest five minutes under a sheet of foil before cutting the poussins in half. 5 min

    This rest lets the juices redistribute, so the meat doesn't dry out when you carve it.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick waxy potatoes, they hold their shape in wedges instead of falling apart in the roasting juices.
  • Arrange the poussins breast side up with space between them, hot air needs room to circulate for the skin to crisp evenly all around.
  • Check doneness by piercing the thigh, the juices should run clear, if they're still pink, give it a few more minutes in the oven.

The variations

  • Swap the rosemary for herbes de Provence if that's what you have, the result stays just as fragrant.
  • For a faster version, ask your butcher to split the poussins in half before cooking, that cuts about ten minutes off the oven time.
  • For kids who aren't fans of herbs, skip the thyme and rosemary and keep just the lemon with a little mild paprika.

What to serve it with

  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • A glass of sparkling apple juice
  • Steamed green beans

Storage

Leftovers keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The meat and potatoes freeze well for up to 2 months, ideally stored separately. Reheat in the oven rather than the microwave so the skin crisps back up a bit.

Questions about this dish

Can you prep the poussins ahead of time?

You can stuff and season the poussins a few hours ahead, then keep them in the fridge. Take them out 30 minutes before roasting so they cook evenly.

What if I can't find poussins?

You can use small free range chickens, or replace the four poussins with two larger chickens and add about twenty minutes to the cooking time.

Why tuck lemon and herbs inside the poussin?

The lemon and herbs flavor the meat from the inside as it roasts and help keep the breast moist. It's also a simple way to use up a lemon you've already cut into.

Do the potatoes overcook sitting under the poussins the whole time?

No, in 65 minutes at 200°C they cook perfectly under the poultry juices. Cut them into even wedges so they brown at the same rate without drying out.

How long does it take to make roast poussins with golden potatoes?

Count 1 h 05 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in roast poussins with golden potatoes?

About 670 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does roast poussins with golden potatoes cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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