Upgrade Roast Chicken with This Creamy Garlic and Walnut Sauce

What is a poussin?

Well, it could be your new favourite member of the poultry family—if you have the good sense to roast it and cover with a rich walnut and garlic sauce like London chef Tiko Tuskadze.

Georgia-born Tuskadze cooked this decadent roast poussin recipe for us as part of a huge supra that also included walnut-stuffed aubergines, wine, and two types of cheese bread. (Oh, and since you asked, a poussin is a young chicken, usually around 400 grams in weight.)

RECIPE: Poussin in Garlic and Walnut Sauce

The poussin's miniature size means it's an ideal small dinner for two. To make Tuskadze's traditional Georgian recipe, you'll first need to spatchcock the bird and bathe it in an oil, chili powder, and paprika marinade for two hours. Then it goes into a hot oven to simmer in its juices.

With the marinated poussin cooking, you can start on the garlic and walnut sauce. Pulse the nuts in a food processor to form a paste and add crushed garlic cloves and boiling water until the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

When the poussin is cooked, divide it on a serving plate and douse with the walnut and garlic sauce—any excess can be mopped up with bread. Now that's what we call an upgrade.