Poultry and Game Recipes - Devilled Chicken Recipe

First, spatchcock the poussins. Place 1 bird, breast side down, on a work surface and cut along each side of the backbone with poultry shears.

Discard the backbone or use it in the stockpot. Put the bird, breast side up, on a board and press hard with your hand on the breastbone to break it.

To keep the bird flat during cooking, push 2 metal skewers through the bird, 1 through the wings with the breast in between, the other through the thighs. Repeat with the other poussin.

Put the poussins in a non-metallic dish and slash them allover with the point of a small sharp knife.

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice and crushed peppercorns and brush all over the poussins, working the marinade into the cuts in the meat. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.

Prepare a barbecue and let it burn until the flames have died down and the coals are grey or heat a grill. Sprinkle the skin of the poussins with salt, then place them, skin side down, on the grill.

Cook for 15 minutes, then turn over and cook for 10 minutes more. Remove the poussins from the grill and cut each bird in half lengthways with poultry shears. Serve hot, warm or cold, with lemon wedges.