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Rock Cornish Game Hens with Forty Cloves of Garlic
Serves 4
from Gourmet, May 1980
40 cloves garlic--about 3 heads
4 Rock Cornish game hens, each weighing about 1 pound
salt and pepper
8 T. unsalted butter (1 Stick)
1/2 C. dry white wine
3/4 C. chicken stock or canned chicken broth
3 T. minced fresh parsley leaves
lemon juice to taste
In a saucepan blanch 40 garlic cloves in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes and then drain them. Slip the skins off the garlic cloves. Sprinkle 4 Cornish game hens inside and out with salt and pepper. rub the hens with softened unsalted butter and truss them. Spread a flameproof baking dish with 2 T. softened unsalted butter and in it arrange the hens on one side. Roast the hens in the lower third of a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes, turn them to the other side, and roast them, basting with the pan juices, for 10 minutes more. Reduce the heat to 375°F, turn the hens breast side up, and distribute the garlic around them. Roast the hens, basting, for 30 minutes more, or until they are browned and the juices run clear when the fleshy part of the thigh is pricked with skewer.
Transfer the hens to a platter and let them stand for 5 minutes, and remove the trussing strings. Transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to the platter, arranging it over the hens, and keep the hens warm, covered. Meanwhile, skim the fat from the pan juices, add 1/2 C. dry white wine, and deglaze the pan over high heat, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides. Pour the mixture into a non-reactive saucepan and reduce it over high heat to about 2 Tablespoons. Add 3/4 C. chicken stock and 3 T. minced fresh parsley leaves and reduce the mixture to about 1/2 Cup. Remove the pan from heat, swirl in 3 T. softened butter cut into bits, and add lemon juice salt and pepper to taste. Nap the hens with the sauce and garnish the platter with sporigs of parsley.
ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS STUFFED WITH SPINACH
Serves 4
from Gourmet, May 1980
4 Rock Cornish game hens, each weighing about 1 pound.
(I notice that the hens today are about 20 oz.)
1 Stick Unsalted butter
one 10-oz. package frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed
dry and minced
1/4 C. minced scallion
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 C. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 C grated Gruyère cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/4 dried
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 C. medium-dry sherry
1 C. chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1/2 C. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Reserve the livers from the 4 hens. (Some hens come without the livers, so just ignore this step in that case, and proceed without them.) Cut the hens along one side of the backbone from neck to tail. Spread the hens open, cut along the other side of the backbone from neck to tail, and remove the backbone. Put the hens breast side down on a cutting board, flatten them slightly with the flat side of a cleaver, and pop out the breastbone. Loosen the skin by slipping the fingers between the skin and the fleash, being careful not to pierce the skin, beginning at the top of the breast, working down as far as possible on the legs, and leaving the wings intact.
In a skillet sauté the reserved livers, trimmed and patted dry, in 3 T. butter over moderately high heat for 2 minutes, or until they are browned on the outside but still pink within, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board, and mince them. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook a 10-oz. package frozen leaf spinace, the scallions, the 3 oz. cream cheese, over moderately low heat, stirring for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is well combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Add the livers, the bread crumbs, the grated Gruyère, 1 large egg, the thyme, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine the mixture well.
Divide the mixture among the hens, inserting it under the skin, pushing it into all areas, and patting the skin to smooth the stuffing into a uniform layer. Cut a horizontal slit through the skin between the lower breast and each thigh of each hen, tuck the tips of the legs through the slits and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Arrange the hens breast side up in a buttered large baking pan, rub them with softened butter and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast the hens in the lower third of a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F and roast the hens, basting them with the pan juices, for 30 minutes more, or until the juices run clear when the fleshy part of the thighs is pricked with a skewer. Transfer the hens with tongs to a platter and keep the warm, covered.
Skim the fat from the pan juices, add 1/2 C. medium-dry Sherry, and deglaze the pan over high heat, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides. Pour the mixture into a non-reactive saucepan the reduce it over high heat to about 1/2 Cup. Add 1 Cup chicken stock and reduce the micxture to about 3/4 cup. Add 1/2 Cup heavy cream and reduce the mxture to about 3/4 cup. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in 3 tablespoons softened butter, cut into bits, and add salt and pepper to taste. Nap the hens with the sauce.
Serves 4
from Gourmet, May 1980
40 cloves garlic--about 3 heads
4 Rock Cornish game hens, each weighing about 1 pound
salt and pepper
8 T. unsalted butter (1 Stick)
1/2 C. dry white wine
3/4 C. chicken stock or canned chicken broth
3 T. minced fresh parsley leaves
lemon juice to taste
In a saucepan blanch 40 garlic cloves in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes and then drain them. Slip the skins off the garlic cloves. Sprinkle 4 Cornish game hens inside and out with salt and pepper. rub the hens with softened unsalted butter and truss them. Spread a flameproof baking dish with 2 T. softened unsalted butter and in it arrange the hens on one side. Roast the hens in the lower third of a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes, turn them to the other side, and roast them, basting with the pan juices, for 10 minutes more. Reduce the heat to 375°F, turn the hens breast side up, and distribute the garlic around them. Roast the hens, basting, for 30 minutes more, or until they are browned and the juices run clear when the fleshy part of the thigh is pricked with skewer.
Transfer the hens to a platter and let them stand for 5 minutes, and remove the trussing strings. Transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to the platter, arranging it over the hens, and keep the hens warm, covered. Meanwhile, skim the fat from the pan juices, add 1/2 C. dry white wine, and deglaze the pan over high heat, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides. Pour the mixture into a non-reactive saucepan and reduce it over high heat to about 2 Tablespoons. Add 3/4 C. chicken stock and 3 T. minced fresh parsley leaves and reduce the mixture to about 1/2 Cup. Remove the pan from heat, swirl in 3 T. softened butter cut into bits, and add lemon juice salt and pepper to taste. Nap the hens with the sauce and garnish the platter with sporigs of parsley.
ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS STUFFED WITH SPINACH
Serves 4
from Gourmet, May 1980
4 Rock Cornish game hens, each weighing about 1 pound.
(I notice that the hens today are about 20 oz.)
1 Stick Unsalted butter
one 10-oz. package frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed
dry and minced
1/4 C. minced scallion
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 C. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 C grated Gruyère cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/4 dried
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 C. medium-dry sherry
1 C. chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1/2 C. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Reserve the livers from the 4 hens. (Some hens come without the livers, so just ignore this step in that case, and proceed without them.) Cut the hens along one side of the backbone from neck to tail. Spread the hens open, cut along the other side of the backbone from neck to tail, and remove the backbone. Put the hens breast side down on a cutting board, flatten them slightly with the flat side of a cleaver, and pop out the breastbone. Loosen the skin by slipping the fingers between the skin and the fleash, being careful not to pierce the skin, beginning at the top of the breast, working down as far as possible on the legs, and leaving the wings intact.
In a skillet sauté the reserved livers, trimmed and patted dry, in 3 T. butter over moderately high heat for 2 minutes, or until they are browned on the outside but still pink within, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board, and mince them. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook a 10-oz. package frozen leaf spinace, the scallions, the 3 oz. cream cheese, over moderately low heat, stirring for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is well combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Add the livers, the bread crumbs, the grated Gruyère, 1 large egg, the thyme, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine the mixture well.
Divide the mixture among the hens, inserting it under the skin, pushing it into all areas, and patting the skin to smooth the stuffing into a uniform layer. Cut a horizontal slit through the skin between the lower breast and each thigh of each hen, tuck the tips of the legs through the slits and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Arrange the hens breast side up in a buttered large baking pan, rub them with softened butter and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast the hens in the lower third of a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F and roast the hens, basting them with the pan juices, for 30 minutes more, or until the juices run clear when the fleshy part of the thighs is pricked with a skewer. Transfer the hens with tongs to a platter and keep the warm, covered.
Skim the fat from the pan juices, add 1/2 C. medium-dry Sherry, and deglaze the pan over high heat, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides. Pour the mixture into a non-reactive saucepan the reduce it over high heat to about 1/2 Cup. Add 1 Cup chicken stock and reduce the micxture to about 3/4 cup. Add 1/2 Cup heavy cream and reduce the mxture to about 3/4 cup. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in 3 tablespoons softened butter, cut into bits, and add salt and pepper to taste. Nap the hens with the sauce.