Crispy fried poussin with blue cheese sauce

Fried poussin

• 1 Gressingham spatchcock poussin
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 300 ml vegetable oil
• 225g full fat milk
• Juice of 1 lemon

Blue cheese sauce

• 100g Stilton ( or similar )
• 2 garlic cloves - finely chopped
• 50g mayonnaise
• 50g milk
• Squeeze lemon

1. Mix milk with the lemon juice and leave to thicken.
2. Mix all the poussin dry ingredients together. Set aside.
3. Cut the poussin into 4 pieces by using a sharp pair of scissors or knife cut to cut the bird in half lengthways along either side of the back bone and discard the bone. Now take off the legs.
4. Place the 4 pieces into the milk / lemon mixture and mix well. Leave in the milk and refrigerate for at least an hour or preferably overnight.
5. When you are ready to serve remove the poussin from the milk mixture and shake off any excess liquid. Dredge each piece through the dry flour mix and coat well.
6. Pre heat the oven to 200oC and heat the oil in a heavy bottomed and high sided pan and put onto a low to medium heat. When the oil has reached temperature (180oc if you have a temperature probe but otherwise place a small cube of bread in the oil to see it turn a light golden brown ).
7. Lightly shake the poussin pieces and carefully lower into the oil with a slotted spoon and deep fry for 5 mins taking care the oil does not get too hot . Turn off the heat and carefully remove from the oil with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Place on to a baking tray and roast in the oven for 5 mins. Remove from the oven rest somewhere warm for 5 minutes while you prepare the dipping sauce.
8. Crumble the blue cheese and using a fork mix the cheese with the lemon juice, chives, garlic , mayonnaise and milk until you have a smooth consistency. Decant into a ramekin
9. Place everything into the middle of the table and serve up.