This recipe for baby chickens stuffed with pork and sage is a simple way to put a showstopper on the table. The pork stuffing that is bound together with onion, apple, and sage, adds amazing flavour to these plump birds as they roast in delicious mustard, garlic & wine jus. Trussed to keep the delicious filling intact, they make the perfect whole portion for one person to tuck selfishly into.

Roasted baby chickens stuffed with pork & sage recipe

I bought these free-range baby chickens – or poussin as they would say in French, from Elgin Farms. I had them stashed away in my freezer because they are difficult to come by and I knew I would want them for a future recipe.

De Wetshof Estate Limestone Hill Chardonnay

Having recently attended the launch of the 2019 vintage of the De Wetshof Estate Limestone Hill, I thought I would roast them to pair with one of my favourite South African Wines.

In the past, I have made a coq au Chardonnay with the complex unwooded Limestone Hill, and this uses the wine in the dish, and it’s the perfect wine to drink with it too. I also added a splash to my risotto Milanese that I topped with brown butter pan-fried prawns.

With this recipe, I added a good glug to the stock that goes in the pan, as I love nothing more than a flavour-packed pan jus with my roast chicken. I normally add lots of herbs to the mix, but since I was stuffing these birds with parsley and sage I decided to leave the pan stock a little simpler and only added a few bay leaves.

To serve I love my roast smashed new potatoes with brown butter sage. You could just leave off the butter and sage as this recipe has so much pan sauce.

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350 F.
Heat the olive oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the apple and continue to cook for a further minute. Allow to cool slightly.
Add the onion mixture to a bowl with the sausage meat, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs and seasonings and mix well. Divide this mixture into two and stuff each baby chicken with it. Tie the legs tightly together (truss) with a piece of string.
Place the two chickens snugly in a high-sided roasting dish. Mix the stock, white wine, Dijon mustard and garlic together and pour this over the chickens. Add the bay leaves to the dish and bake as follows in the oven
Breast side facing up – 20 minutes
Flipped over with underside facing up – 20 minutes
Flipped back upright with breasts facing up – 20 minutes and until golden brown.
Baste the chickens each time you flip them, and if the stock gets very dry, add a splash of hot water to the tray.
Remove the chickens from the pan and if necessary add a little more hot water to the pan and scrape up any pan juices and heat through. This makes the most delicious gravy to serve with the chicken. Serve with a crusty baguette or country loaf to mop up any excess.

Notes

The stuffing can be made in advance and you can pre-prepare the stuff chickens up to the day before.

Author: Sam Linsell

BUY MY eBOOK COMFORT

Find me on Instagram & Pinterest

6 Comments

Love the sound of this recipe! I’m not sure where you are based but any suggestions on where to source the baby chickens in Cape Town?

Hi Melani, I am based in CT and found them at Pick n Pay Hypermarket in Ottery (a while ago). My suggestion would be to phone around the larger PnP stores like Kenilworth, Constantia and then the hypers. You could also contact Elgin Farms and ask where they stock them

Aww amazing!!! I’ve loved following your blog – your amazing recipes (many of which I’ve tried and loved!), beautiful photos and refreshing writing! I’m looking forward to your new cookbook – what an awesome work! Congratulations!

https://homeplix.com/best-2-slice-toaster

This sounds wonderful. And the chicken is gorgeous. Another six months and I’ll make your recipe!

Thank you for the kind words Steve, and I’m so glad you enjoy my blog 🙂

Hi Sam,
Love your blog and really enjoying your e-book “Comfort” here in California. I once ordered poussin (thinking baby chickens like we have in SA) from an on-line store. When they arrived they were barely the size of my fist! We have access to Cornish game hens in all the stores here which look more like the real thing (to me). Could I use those and can I triple this recipe in it’s entirety or cut back on the sauce ingredients? Many thanks!