The Cottage Smallholder

A few weeks ago I noticed a new ceramic pepper shaker standing in my mother’s kitchen table. The powder around the holes wasn’t pepper coloured. Intrigued I tapped a little onto the back of my hand, it smelt spicy and tasted strange.

“It’s turmeric. It’s supposed to have all sort of health giving properties. I sprinkle it on my food if I remember.”

My mum wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of buying a new pepper shaker and filling it with turmeric on a whim. So I cruised I few internet sites and discovered that turmeric has been used for centuries for its health giving properties. I found this interesting article on the benefits of turmeric.

I have arthritis in my right hand. Winters, my passion for Marmite and wet weather can be a nightmare. Apparently the anti inflammatory effects of Curcumin (the key active ingredient in turmeric) are superb. Suddenly I saw the reason for the turmeric shaker sitting on my mum’s kitchen table – she suffers from arthritis too.

Last night I cooked a plump poussin for supper. I was planning my lemon butter recipe but decided to add turmeric (whey hey – a jar containing 120g of turmeric is only ?1.19 at Daily Bread ) and some fragrant saffron. Don’t stint on the saffron. Apart from being packed with great health giving properties, it can really lift a dish. Some claim that it’s great for treating mild depression.

This recipe was easy. A doddle to make and perfect supper party food as it tasted exquisite. The leftovers will be relished with Lebanese style couscous for lunch tomorrow. Probably wolfed down, sitting in Jalopy as the rain drums on the roof.

We’d hoped for an Indian summer this year. Hopefully we’ll get some flavours of summer if Danny can find spices in Bangalore. It seems that all we need are turmeric and saffron for a winter without tears. The rest of my list is long – who could resist the possibilty of spices from India?

We make one poussin stretch between the two us us but ideally allow a possin per person and you may have some hope of leftovers.

Fragrant lemon butter poussin, baked with saffron and turmeric recipe (for two hungry people)

Ingredients:

• 2 plump poussin
• 1 small lemon. Zest divided between the two pousin, juice rubbed into the flesh of bth poussin and the remaining half lemons baked in the cavity of each bird.
• 1 level tsp of saffron
• 1 level tsp of turmeric
• 50 g of butter
• 8 tbsp of water

Method:

Set the oven temperature to 190 degrees (170 fan)

1. Take a large piece of aluminium foil and place the birds on the foil, pulling the sides up to form a simple tray, with high sides (these sides will form an igloo in which the poussin are baked).
2. Zest the lemon and reserve. Cut the lemon in half and rub the juice into each bird. Pop the half lemons into the cavity of the two birds. Scatter the zest over them.
3. Cut the butter in four. Put a quarter inside the cavity of each bird and a quarter under the skin of each bird’s breast.
4. Sprinkle the turmeric and saffron over the breast of the birds. Add the water to the aluminium tray, rather than over the birds.
5. Lift the sides of the aluminium and crimp tightly around the seals leaving a sizable gap above the birds. Bake for an hour in the middle of the oven. Check that the juices run clear before pouring them over the birds. Serve with interesting salads and herby couscous or green vegetables and mini roast potatoes.