Peri Peri Chicken recipe POST NO 2

Okay - got the recipe issue sorted now.

So, you have your two Poussin. Remember that they are poussin at this stage, not spatchcocks. Invite yourself to some parties and be sure to rant on about how poussin and spatchcock are two different things. People love standing around parties with a maniac ranting on about poultry, and everybody loves someone who tells people that they are totally wrong.

I go around finding random strangers to rant at about poussin and how it isn't spatchcock. I regard it as the secret to my popularity.  Bustops are good for this - who doesn't like a maniac at a bustop? Letters to the editor are also good.

Now we spatchcock the guys. Give them a bit of a rinse and pat dry. I don't recall why but I know I read that somewhere. Then you sort of hurl them down on a chopping board or a clean surface. Or a filthy surface if you are tough. Whatever.

They should be breast side down so get that sorted. Now is a good time to start swearing. What happens now is you go into a 45 minute wrestling match between the poussin and a cheap set of poultry shears - for extra effect and swearing get the shears from Go-Lo. Trim off extra fat, skin down the parson's nose end. Then the clever bit, you sort of cut down either side of the spine and remove. You can give these bits to a yodelling cat later.

Spatchcocking should be relatively painless, but will be more entertaining and challenging with crap Go-Lo shears. Keep swearing.

Spread the spineless poussin down flat, still breast side down, and remove anything that looks like an organ, anything that you don't recognise and anything green. Swear. Wash sticky bits off your hands. At this stage I am angry so would generally go off for some stomping around and chain smoking. Ensure to lock the yodelling cat out of the kitchen while you do this.

Back in the kitchen, sidle up to the poussin and quickly snip of their feet (end of the drumstick) and hands (wing tips). This is to stop the ends going black when they cook.

Here is another clever bit - you are going to remove a sort of cartledge  that sits ontop of the breast meat. I am not going to tell you my technique because it took a further 45 minutes and swearing. Better to watch the linked YouTube video - this dude is spatchcocking a full-size chicken rather than a poussin, and has proper poultry shears not from Go-Lo, but he seems to have a handle on the whole spatchcocking exercise. Once he has demonstrated the preparation, you can stop watching because I'm going to get you to marinate the guys and prepare a basting sauce and all. Here is the dude - I forget what he is called but he is clearly an amazingly together guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGKLtbiUflk

Once spatchcocked, take your poussin, say 'hello', and await further instructions...