Roasted Hamilton Poussin Wrapped With Streaky Bacon And Stuffed With Potatoes And Sage Food

CHRISTMAS POUSSIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Smear the butter all over the poussins, season inside and out, then criss-cross the bacon over each one. Sit the poussins in a roasting tin and cook for 40 mins until the birds are golden and the bacon is crisp. Remove from the tin, leave to rest and set the tin aside until you're ready to make the gravy.
• About 5 mins before you sit down to eat, make the gravy. Place the tin on a medium heat, then stir in the flour and splash in the Worcestershire sauce. Bubble together, then drain the veg over the roasting tin and stir in the vegetable stock. Bring the gravy to the boil, taste for seasoning, adding more Worcestershire sauce if needed, then pour into a warm gravy jug.

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Skin 2 chicken breasts, then cut a pocket in each side and stuff each with 25g/1oz soft goat's cheese.
• Wrap each breast in 2 rashers rindless streaky bacon, tucking in a few fresh sage leaves, then put the breasts in a baking dish and season. Spoon over 1 tbsp olive oil.
• Roast the chicken breasts in a baking dish, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven (190C/gas 5/fan oven 170C). To check if they are done, insert a sharp knife into the centre of a parcel and leave it for a few seconds, if the chicken is cooked the tip should feel very hot when you pull it out and touch it. The chicken should also feel very firm when pressed with the back of a fork.
• Serve with a gratin of potatoes and leeks.

BACON 'N' CHEESE STUFFED POTATOES

Steps:

• Bake potatoes at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly. Reduce heat to 350°. , Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell. In a large bowl, mash the pulp with butter. Stir in the sour cream, cheese, bacon and onions. Spoon or pipe into potato shells. , Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

ROASTED HAMILTON POUSSIN WRAPPED WITH STREAKY BACON AND STUFFED WITH POTATOES AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven and an appropriately sized roasting tray to 425 to 450 degrees. Boil your potatoes in salted water until perfectly cooked (don't overcook). Drain and allow to cool. Remove any fat from inside the chicken cavity. Wash and pat dry with kitchen paper. Slice your potatoes thickly, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add your freshly torn herbs and enough olive oil just to coat. Toss over and then stuff your chickens with the potatoes. Place them into the tray with about 12 cloves of garlic and cook for 30 minutes. After this time the chicken should be looking as handsome as its inventor and the skin should be crisp and golden.
• At this point lay your streaky bacon snugly over the breast meat and add a 1/2 cup of wine to the pan to get some sticky marmitey juices happening. Cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven. Take them out of the tray and allow them to rest for 5 minutes while you make a quick bit of gravy. I normally remove as much fat as possible from the tray before placing on gentle heat. Splash the remaining 1 cup of white wine into it. Then boil up and scrape away all the goodness from the sides of the tray. Simmer this for a couple of minutes until tasty. It's not a thick, robust gravy, just a tasty gesture. (Another nice option at this point is to add a little cream to the gravy which works really well.) Served with something nice and green like steamed spinach and the potatoes pulled out from the chickens.

ROAST TURKEY BREAST WRAPPED IN BACON

Steps:

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan, and use a little more to grease a 900g loaf tin. Put the onion in the pan and cook gently for 10-15 mins until caramelised. Tip into a large bowl and set aside to cool. Line the loaf tin with a double strip of foil, leaving plenty overhanging either end (you can use this as a handle to remove the parcel once cooked).
• Stretch each piece of bacon a little with the back of your knife. Arrange the rashers so the base of the tin is covered with overlapping bacon and the rashers come neatly up the sides in a single layer, overhanging generously. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the bacon.
• Once the onion has cooled, add the sausagemeat and sage to the bowl. Mix everything together, then pack half the mixture into the tin. Spread over about a third of the cranberry sauce.
• Cut each turkey breast steak into three strips. Layer roughly half the turkey on top of the stuffing mix, filling any gaps like a jigsaw, but keeping the turkey in one thick layer, then season. Spread over a little more cranberry sauce, then top with the remaining stuffing, cranberry sauce and turkey in the same way, making sure there are no gaps between the layers. The parcel should be full to the top when you're finished. Fold over the overhanging bacon and wrap the tin in foil. Can now be chilled for up to 2 days.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the tin on a baking tray and cook for 1 hr 30 mins. Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool for 10 mins. Carefully lift the parcel out of the tin, using the foil handles. Roll the parcel over onto a baking tray. Return to the oven for a further 15-20 mins until the outside is crisp and browning. Test the internal temperature with a thermometer, if you have one - it should read 75C when it's ready. Or insert a metal skewer into the centre of the parcel and check it is piping hot. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least 15 mins before serving. Top with the reserved sage leaves, then slice. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days.