- 1 1/4 cups green wheat (sometimes called frekeh or frik)
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup dried currants
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 4 poussins (about 1 lb each)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch whisked together with 2 teaspoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Special equipment: kitchen string; a 17- by 11-inch shallow flameproof baking pan fitted with a large flat rack; an instant-read thermometer
- Soak wheat in a bowl of cold water, skimming off any debris that floats to the surface and changing water twice, 20 minutes total. Drain well in a sieve.
- Cook wheat, uncovered, in a 3- to 4-quart pot of salted boiling water , stirring and skimming occasionally, until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes; drain well in a sieve and transfer to a bowl.
- While wheat is boiling, cook onion in oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add coriander, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, 1 minute more; stir into drained wheat with currants and pine nuts. Cool stuffing completely, about 20 minutes.
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse poussins inside and out and pat dry. Cut out necks if attached and discard. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside and outside of birds, then stuff each body cavity with 1/2 cup stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into a small baking dish and cover with foil, then set aside. Tie legs together with string and arrange poussins, without crowding, on rack in pan. Brush melted butter generously over poussins, reserving remainder for basting.
- Roast poussins, basting occasionally, until deep golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and roast until a thermometer inserted into a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 180°F, and into the stuffing, 165°F, about 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer poussins to a platter, reserving pan, and loosely cover with foil. Reheat reserved stuffing in oven while making jus.
- Remove rack from pan and tilt pan so fat and juices accumulate in one corner. Carefully spoon off almost all of fat. Straddle pan across 2 burners; add broth and water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Transfer to a 1- to 2-quart saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 minutes. Stir cornstarch mixture; stir into sauce and simmer 1 minute. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour jus through a fine-mesh sieve into a gravy boat. Cut off string and serve poussins with jus and additional stuffing.
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