Poussins with black olive & anchovy butter

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 5. Put the olives, anchovies, butter, garlic and black pepper into a mortar and pestle (or you can just
do this with a fork and bowl, although the ingredients don’t end up as well incorporated) and either pound or mash.

2. Cut the potatoes into chunks – roughly 2cm square – and put them into a roasting tin in which they can lie in a single layer, with room for the poussins on top. Add the chilli flakes, rosemary leaves, seasoning and about two-thirds of the olive oil and toss all this with the potatoes.

3. Gently lift the skin on the breast of the poussins – be careful not to tear it – and push the butter down under the skin of each bird (if you can get as far as the legs, pushing some in there too, so much the better, but it’s hard to do this without ripping the skin). Don’t use all the butter, keep some for melting on the poussins once they’re cooked.

4. Put the poussins on top of the potatoes, brush the remaining oil on the birds and season. Roast for 50 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked, there is no pink meat and the juices run clear. Transfer the poussins and the potatoes to a warmed platter and put some of the remaining butter to melt on top of the poussins. Serve immediately. This is lovely with a green salad, but some kind of roasted vegetable is good too (aubergines, fennel, tomatoes or peppers, depending on the time of year).