Baby chickens roasted with garlic and sundried tomatoes make great eating. Accompany them with wild rice and creamed spinach.

Ingredients

• 1 small bulb of garlic
• 4 poussins
• 4 tablespoons sundried tomato paste
• 2 rashers bacon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• plenty of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock

Method

1. Drizzle the garlic bulb with a little oil, wrap it in foil and place it in an 180ºC oven to cook for an hour or until a skewer can be inserted without any resistance. You can cook this at the same time as the poussin, changing the oven to fan grill when required. Make sure that the bulb of garlic is on the lower shelf.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut down either side of each pussin's backbone to remove it. Use the bones for making the stock. Flatten the birds by pressing down firmly on the breast.
3. Using your index finger, loosen the skin around the breast and thigh area. Spread about 1 tablespoon sundried tomato paste under the skin of each bird. Pull the skin down firmly and, if wished, secure the birds out flat with wooden skewers.
4. Chop the bacon into small dice. Place the poussins on a rack in a roasting dish and rub the oil or melted butter over the top. Sprinkle evenly with the chopped bacon and sift over the flour. Season well with plenty of pepper.
5. If you have a fan grill in your oven, place the birds in the lower part of the oven and fan grill at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes. Fan grilling will give the poussins a lovely crisp golden top. If you don't have a fan grill, bake at 180ºC for 30-35 minute until cooked. Pierce between the leg joint to see if the juice is clear. If it's still pink, continue to cook the poussins.
6. Cover the pousins and stand for 10 minutes while preparing the sauce. Remove the garlic from the foil and cut the bulb in half horizontally. Squeeze the cooked garlic pulp into the roasting dish you cooked the birds over and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and stir well to include any tasty sediment in the gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Skim off any fat that may come to the top. Place one poussin on each plate and pour quarter of the pan juices over each to serve.