Jura-Style Roast Poussin with Tarragon Butter and Vin Jaune Pan Sauce

⏱ 55 min · Serves 2

Two little birds, butter-basted under the skin with tarragon and lemon, roasted until the skin crackles, then finished with a nutty, sherry-like Vin Jaune sauce enriched with cream. It's the Jura on a plate — deeply savoury, elegant and ready in under an hour.

Per serving: 935 kcal · 62.0g protein · 6.0g carbs · 72.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 poussins (about 450–500g each)
• 70g unsalted butter, softened
• 20g fresh tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped (keep a few sprigs whole)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 150ml Vin Jaune (or dry Savagnin / good fino sherry)
• 150ml chicken stock
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cold butter, diced, to finish

Method

1. Take the poussins out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and pat them very dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oven to 210°C fan / 230°C conventional.
2. Mash 70g softened butter with the chopped tarragon, garlic, lemon zest, 1 tsp flaky salt and plenty of pepper.
3. Slide your fingers gently under the breast skin of each bird to loosen it, then push two thirds of the tarragon butter underneath, spreading it evenly over the breasts and top of the thighs.
4. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the birds, tuck a whole tarragon sprig into each cavity, season all over with salt and pepper, and tie the legs loosely with string.
5. Set the poussins breast-up in a small roasting tin or oven-proof skillet, drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 30–35 minutes, basting once at 20 minutes, until the skin is deep gold and juices from the thigh run clear (75°C at the thickest part of the thigh).
6. Lift the birds onto a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes — this is essential.
7. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat from the tin. Set it over medium heat, add the shallot and soften for 2 minutes without colouring.
8. Pour in the Vin Jaune, scraping up every sticky bit, and reduce by half — about 3 minutes. Add the stock and reduce by half again.
9. Stir in the cream and mustard and simmer 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon. Whisk in the cold butter off the heat, add any resting juices, a squeeze of lemon and check the seasoning.
10. Serve the poussins whole or halved through the breastbone, sauce spooned generously over, with buttered new potatoes or wilted spinach and a glass of the same Vin Jaune.