STEP 1: BUTCHER THE POUSSIN INTO A CROWN
Place each poussin breast-side up on a board. Remove the wings by cutting through the joint where the wing meets the breast — reserve for the sauce. Using poultry shears or a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it — reserve for the sauce. Trim the base of the carcass so the crown sits flat. You now have a neat crown: two breasts connected by the breastbone, skin intact. Season the crowns generously with salt and pepper.

STEP 2: SEAR THE CROWN AND BUILD THE SAUCE BASE
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat the vegetable oil in an oven-safe heavy pan over high heat. Sear the crowns skin-side down for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add the reserved wings and backbone trimmings. Roast over high heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply coloured — this is where the sauce depth comes from. Add the sliced shallot, black peppercorns, and white peppercorns. Cook for 2 minutes until the shallots begin to caramelise and the peppercorns are toasted and fragrant.

STEP 3: DEGLAZE WITH BRANDY FLAMBÉ, WINE AND VINEGAR
Remove the pan from direct heat. Add the brandy and carefully ignite with a long match or by tipping the pan toward the flame — the alcohol will flare briefly, then subside. Add the white wine and white wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer and reduce by two-thirds, scraping any caramelised bits from the pan. Add the chicken stock and continue reducing by half. This should take 8–10 minutes in total.

STEP 4: ROAST THE POUSSIN IN A BUTTER JACUZZI
Return the crowns to the pan skin-side up, or transfer to a clean oven-safe pan. Add the butter, crushed garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs. Place in the preheated oven for 5–6 minutes. Every minute, open the oven and baste the crowns generously with the foaming butter — this crisps the skin, infuses the meat with garlic and thyme, and keeps the surface moist. Check the internal temperature with a probe: pull the poussin at 60°C (140°F). It will carry over to 65–68°C during resting. Rest for 5–8 minutes, loosely tented with foil.

STEP 5: FINISH THE PEPPERCORN SAUCE
Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing the solids firmly to extract maximum flavour. Discard the trimmings, shallots, and whole peppercorns. Bring the strained sauce to a simmer and add the double cream. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until glossy and coating the back of a spoon. Stir through the chopped soft green peppercorns. Swirl in the finishing butter.

STEP 6: MAKE THE GAME CHIPS
Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes into wafer-thin rounds, 1–2mm thick. Rinse in cold water to remove excess starch, then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper. Heat vegetable oil to 170°C (340°F) in a deep pan. Fry the chips in small batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with flaky sea salt.

STEP 7: CARVE AND PLATE
Run a knife along either side of the breastbone to remove the two breast pieces, keeping the skin intact. Slice each breast on the bias if desired, or present whole. Pour a generous pool of peppercorn sauce onto each warm plate. Arrange the poussin on top, skin-side up. Stack a neat pile of game chips alongside. Serve immediately.