For the poussin and brine

• Make the brine by bringing the water and salt to a boil
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely
• To prepare the poussin remove the legs, cutting closer to the leg than the breast. Trim the wing tips and remove the wish bone. On the underside of the breast there is a line that runs along it. Carefully cut along this line, releasing the crown from the backbone. Carefully chop halfway through the rib cage. Reserve the bones for sauces or stock.
• Fully submerge the poussin into the cold brine.
• Leave the poussin in the brine for eight hours in the fridge.
• After eight hours, remove the poussin from the brine.
• Pat dry with a kitchen towel and leave uncovered in the fridge to dry further for 24 hours.

Confit leg

• Confit the legs, place them into a suitable pan and cover with the sunflower oil and all the aromats
• gently on a low heat until soft.
• carefully remove the legs from the oil and gently remove the thigh bone.
• Place in the fridge to firm up.
• Once firm, French trim the drumstick.
• To serve, colour evenly in a frying pan until golden.

Brown chicken stock 

• • Cut the chicken wings up and roast in a tray until golden
  • Deglaze the pan with some of the water and scrape off the bits from the tray
  • Add the chicken wings to a stock pot and cover with water  and the wine
  • Roughly cut the veg and save to add to the stock later on
  • Bring the pan to a boil and skim off and residue and fat from the pan (repeat multiple times thought out the cooking process)
  • Once boiled reduce to a swimmer and cooked out for 3hrs
  • Add the veg to the stock pot and top up with water till covered
  • Cook out on a simmer for a further 2hrs
  • Pass the liquid into a large container though a chinois
  • Once passed off place the liquid stock in the fridge to cool down till needed

Brown Chicken Sauce

• Preheat oven to 160°c.
• Prepare all the veg slice the shallots, cut the celery and carrots. And cut the bulb of garlic into half
• Chop the chicken wings into three pieces. Spread evenly in two roasting trays and coat in a little sunflower oil.
• Roast the wings until golden brown.
  • Add some of the stock to the tray of roasting chicken wings.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir the contents in the trays to remove any bits stuck on the bottom.
• In a large sauce pan sweat off the veg shallots and they garlic with no colour.
• Remove from the sauce pan and keep for later on into the process
• Deglaze the pan with white wine
• Add the chicken from the oven into the pan with the wine and the remaining chicken stock to the pan.
• Bring the stock to a boil and skim of any sediment and fat (repeat multiple times thought out the cooking process)
• Once brought to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook out for 2-3hrs slowly
• Add all the veg, pepper and bay leaf and cook out for a further 1hr
• Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make a paste.
• Add a small amount of fécule paste to thicken the sauce.
• Add the thyme and sherry vinegar to the sauce once the consistency you wish and leave to infuse for 10mins
• Pass through a chinois and reserve.

Cooking the hay poussin 

• Preheat the oven to 180°c.
• Heat a casserole pan with a small amount of the confit oil from the legs
• Colour the poussin over a medium heat until it is golden all the way round.
• Remove from the heat and take the chicken out of the pan
• . Add the hay in the bottom and scatter the thyme sprigs on the hay. Place the poussin on top and 200ml of chicken stock.
• Place the lid on and cook in the oven at 180°c for ten minutes. Check that the poussin is cooked and leave to rest for ten minutes before serving.

Confit asparagus

• Melt the butter in a glass Pyrex dish
• Add the thyme and bay leaves
• Add the asparagus to the butter and cook till tender
• Finish in a frying pan and colour with a of the butter from the glass dish

Wild garlic pesto

• Blanch the garlic in boiling water with the bicarb
• Refresh in ice water to stop the cooking
• Squeeze the excesses water from the garlic and place in a blender with the remaining ingredients
• Once smooth season with lemon zest/ juice and Maldon sea salt

Finishing 

Micro rocket cress

Toasted flaked almonds