Roast Baby Chickens Stuffed with Pork & Sage

• 2 chickens/poussinpoussin
• 250ml strong chicken stock
• 100ml dry white wine such as De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay
• 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 bay leaves (optional)
• Splash of olive oil or a knob of butter
• ½ white onion very finely chopped
• ½ apple, peeled and grated
• 3 pork sausages, removed from their casings
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs or panko crumbs

Small handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped

• 6 – 8 sage leaves, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C / 350 F
2. Heat the olive oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the apple and continue to cook for a further minute. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Add the onion mixture to a bowl with the sausage meat, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs and seasonings and mix well. Divide this mixture into two and stuff each baby chicken with it. Tie the legs tightly together (truss) with a piece of string.
4. Place the two chickens snuggly in a high-sided roasting dish. Mix the stock, white wine, Dijon mustard and garlic together and pour this over the chickens. Add the bay leaves to the dish and bake as follows in the oven
5. Breast side facing up – 20 minutes
6. Flipped over with underside facing up – 20 minutes
7. Flipped back up right with breasts facing up – 20 minutes and until golden brown.
8. Baste the chickens each time you flip them, and if the stock gets very dry, add a splash of hot water to the tray.
9. Remove the chickens from the pan and if necessary add a little more hot water to the pan and scrape up any pan juices and heat through. This makes the most delicious gravy to serve with the chicken. Serve with a crusty baguette or country loaf to mop up any excess.