Roast Poussins With Wild Mushroom Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Tip the wine and mushrooms into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to soak until cool, about 20 mins. Strain through a sieve over a bowl to reserve the wine, pressing the mushrooms with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Set the rehydrated mushrooms aside. Return the wine to the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and keep on a high heat until reduced by half, about 15 mins. Pour in the cream, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half again, about 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, finely chop the mushrooms. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until just golden. Carefully add the brandy and sizzle briefly, then squeeze in the lemon juice, remove from the heat and set aside. Stir the mushroom mixture into the reduced cream sauce along with any juices from the frying pan, then season. Will keep chilled for up to three days.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Rinse the poussins and season the cavities with salt and pepper. Rub each with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Fill each cavity with a lemon wedge, 2 sprigs each of thyme and marjoram, and 1 crushed garlic clove.
• Loosen the skin from the breast of each poussin. Slide a sprig each of thyme and marjoram between the skin and the breast. Spoon the Cognac (1/2 tablespoon per bird) into the breast pockets of each poussin. Truss with kitchen string.
• On a roasting rack set in a roasting pan, roast for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down; cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip; transfer to oven. Roast until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover.
• Place the skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mushrooms. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Add flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in stock and chopped parsley; simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream; season with salt and pepper. Serve with chicken; garnish with parsley sprigs.

Steps:

• Rinse dried mushrooms to remove sand or dirt and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let steep for 30 minutes.
• Lay duck breasts skin-side down on a cutting board. With your fingers, remove the thin tenderloins from the underside of each breast and reserve for sauce. With a sharp knife, trim away any gristle. Turn breasts skin-side up and trim excess fat from the edges. Score the skins in a diamond pattern. Season generously with salt and pepper, transfer to a plate and leave at cool room temperature for 1 hour.
• Put olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the reserved tenderloins and brown well on both sides. Add butter and flour to pan, and cook, stirring, until mixture is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add soaked mushrooms and soaking liquid, and stir well as sauce begins to thicken. Add wine, thyme and bay leaf, turn heat to low, and simmer gently until gravylike, but not too thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard tenderloins, thyme and bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Keep warm. (Sauce may be prepared several hours or up to 2 days in advance.)
• Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add duck breasts to skillet skin-side down and let sizzle. Lower heat to medium and cook for about 7 or 8 minutes, making sure skin doesn't brown too quickly. (This will render fat and crisp the skin.) Turn breasts over and cook 3 minutes more for rare (thermometer should read 120 degrees), or 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (thermometer should read 125 degrees). Transfer to a warm platter and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons rendered fat from the pan, and raise heat to medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, letting them brown nicely. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in garlic and parsley.
• Slice duck 1/4-inch thick, crosswise at a slight angle, and serve immediately. Each serving should have 4 to 5 slices of duck, a large spoonful of mushrooms and a bit of sauce.