Roast poussin with pickled radishes

Make the marinade for the poussins. In a large bowl, mix together the chilli flakes, herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and 1 tsp salt, and whisk well. Lay the poussins in the mixture, and give them a good toss to make sure they’re well coated. Cover the bowl with cling film, then chill in the fridge for 4 hrs or overnight.

To make the pickling liquor, put the vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, spices, garlic and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Heat a heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan over a low heat. Remove the poussins from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper, making sure you wipe off the garlic slices as these will burn. Add a little splash of vegetable oil to the pan. Put both poussins in the pan, breast-side down, and gently colour for 8-10mins – they will become quite a dark colour, but don’t be scared as this is all flavour. Put the pan in the oven for a further 10 mins.

Meanwhile, prepare the radishes. Depending on the size or shape, you can leave them whole, halve them, or slice thinly. If your radishes have tops, reserve them to finish the dish – they have loads of flavour and will add a real kick. Put the radishes in a small bowl with the shallots, then strain over the pickling liquour, toss well and leave for 10 mins.

Remove the poussins from the oven, drizzle over a little olive oil and add a sprinkle of flaky salt. Serve with the radishes and a good spoonful of spiced salad cream (see recipe, above right). Finish with the radish tops, if you like.