Chicken Poussin

Servings : Serves 3-4

A tender, moist and juicy chicken, which is fried and then brushed with a wonderfully spicy poussin sauce.

Ingredients for Chicken Marinade

  • 1 small chicken (poussin), cut into quarters - using a fork, pierce the chicken all over. Marinate in the ingredients below for at least 2 hours.
  • 3 tbsp. yoghurt
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic paste
  • 1 tsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tsp. chilli powder

Ingredients for Poussin Sauce

  • 2 tbsp. margarine plus 3 tbsp. oil (any that you like)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh ginger paste
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. paprika powder
  • 1 tbsp. red chilli powder (reduce for milder results)
  • 1 tsp. white or black pepper powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar

Instructions

You can either make this dish with the skin or without, the pic you see has both options, the breast piece was skinless, the thigh & drumstick was with skin. So go with whichever option you like best, although of course the one with the skin is the authentic 'poussin'.

For the Chicken

Once ready to cook, remove the chicken pieces and shake off the excess marinade and discard it. Drizzle a little oil in a pan and then fry the chicken for about 5 minutes per side and set aside.

For the Poussin Sauce

Heat the margarine with the oil until hot. Add the ginger and cook until fragrant, then add the vinegar and salt, simmer for a minute then add the paprika, red chili powder, pepper and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cinnamon powder. Stir together.

Now dip the lightly fried chicken pieces into this sauce and take them out again. Lay out a sheet of foil on a baking tray and place the chicken pieces on it. Preheat the oven at 170 C then put the tray in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes (turn them over midway through the baking). Turn the heat down to 120 C and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Make sure to brush some of the remaining poussin sauce every now and then on the chicken pieces so they stay moist.

Serve hot with a side of fries and some extra poussin sauce on the side to dip in!

Enjoy!

47 thoughts on “Chicken Poussin
47 Replies
  • I had tripled last time but
    I had tripled last time but the sauce becomes very dry….i want it to be a bit liquid type…can i add little water…coz margarine/oil is making it too oily.

  • Hey I’ve made this chicken
    Hey I’ve made this chicken 2times and it’s very tasty. I just have a problem ..whenever I make big pieces of chicken it’s not fully cooked. I mean it was very tender literally falling off the bone but the bones of leg pieces had blood traces. It happens whenever I fry or bake large pieces of chicken. Plz help how can I avoid it. Small cut ups don’t look nice when roasted

    • Thanks for the lovely
      Thanks for the lovely feedback! Am told that happens when the chicken is not allowed to fully drain it’s blood after slaughtering, some stays trapped in the veins and that makes it ooze out during cooking…which I can imagine is very disgusting to see. Ideally this recipe works best with SMALL chicken, as mentioned in the recipe. You could try changing the place where you purchase your chicken or soak the cut up chicken in a water bath before using (refer to my chicken charga recipe for the method of creating a water bath). That might help. Also be sure to let the chicken come to room temperature before cooking.

  • Salams Fauzia maam,
    Salams Fauzia maam,
    U mentioned abt marinating the chicken and later stated ‘once ready to cook,should remove the chicken pieces and shake off the excess marinade’ Ok, i got the marinating part but didnt understand the ccoking. Is it that it should be put to heat the way it is till cooked or?
    Also, u mentioned about pre heating the oven at 170 C. How is an oven pre heated?
    Also, regarding changing sides of the chicken and brushing poussin sauce on the chicken while in the oven, should we open the oven in the middle of baking? is that so?
    lastly, if we dont get a poussin but a 1 kg chicken, is it okay?
    and will the ingredients be used in the same quantity as that of a poussin that you mentioned above or?
    please aid?
    Am new to oven so i have no knowledge on it.
    Awaiting your response,thanks.

    • W/Salaam
      W/Salaam

      1. After you shake off some of the excess marinade, you fry the chicken in a pan for about 5 minutes per side as mentioned in the recipe. You will later finish cooking the chicken in the oven.
      2. You preheat the oven by heating it BEFORE you put the dish that you want to cook inside it.
      3. Yes, open the oven and turn the chicken pieces.
      4. A 1kg chicken will be fine, just give it a couple minutes more to cook as it is bigger than the recommended spring chicken.
      5. Ingredient amounts remain the same for the slightly bigger chicken.

      Hope I have clarified your queries.

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