Roasted Poussin and Herbed New Potatoes

A simple dinner for two that looks much fancier than the time it takes to make. I love these little poussin chickens and getting to have one each eases the fight for the best bits of a standard whole chicken. With new potatoes and asparagus just starting to appear alongside the spring sunshine here in London, they're the ideal accompaniment to these poussins. 

• 2 corn-fed poussin

• 20g of salted butter, softened

• A bunch of thyme

• A lemon

• Plenty of salt and black pepper

• 400g of new potatoes

• A small bunch each of parsley and tarragon

• A drizzle of olive oil

• A clove of garlic

Preheat your oven to 200°C and take the poussin out of the fridge at least forty minutes before you're ready to start cooking. Stir some chopped-up thyme and lemon zest through the softened butter and rub it all over the poussins. Season the birds with salt and pepper and roast them for 35-40 minutes. As soon as you put them in the oven, turn the heat down to 180°C and add a splash of water.

Wash and boil the potatoes until tender. As they're simmering in salted water, stir together the juice of the lemon with finely chopped parsley and tarragon and a grated clove of garlic. Season this mix with some salt and as soon as the potatoes are done, slice them in half and while they're still warm, toss them together in this dressing. Serve on a platter together with the poussins, some simply steamed asparagus and a little mustard on the side.