Cornish hens with coconut-curry sauce

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 Cornish hens (1 lb ea)
½ cup Olive oil
2 Shallots, thinly sliced
2 Garlic clove(s), crushed
2 tablespoons Olive oil
½ Onion(s), finely chopped
¼ cup Celery, finely chopped
¼ cup Carrot, finely chopped
¼ cup Bananas, finely diced
¼ cup Ripe pear, finely diced
¼ cup Madras curry powder
1 tablespoon Butter
2 Shallots, finely chopped
1 cup Basmati rice
2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped
4 Thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon Black peppercorns, crushed
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ cup Orange juice
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 cup Chicken stock or canned broth
2 tablespoons Coconut milk
1 tablespoon Major Grey's chutney
½ cup Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Chives, finely chopped
1¾ cup Chicken stock or canned broth
Salt

Directions

MARINADE

CURRY SAUCE

RICE

1. Cut up and marinate the hens: using kitchen shears, cut out the backbones from each hen. Then cut through the backbones to divide each hen in half. Remove the whole legs from each bird by cutting through the hip joints; you should have 2 breast sections and 2 leg sections from each bird.

2. In a large dish, combine the oil, shallots, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, and salt. Add the hens, turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Make the curry sauce: heat olive oil in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the banana and pear and cook, stirring, until nearly disintegrated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the orange and lemon juices to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in chicken stock, coconut milk, and chutney and ring back to a boil. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the sauce, pressing down on the solids, and return it to the saucepan. Boil over moderately high heat until reduced to ¾ cup, about 7 minutes. The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate the curry sauce.

5. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, cilantro, and chives. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

cover and cook over moderate heat until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Season with salt.

6. Remove hens from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place hens pieces, skin side down, on a baking sheet and broil for about 12 minutes, until well browned; shift t he pan as necessary so the pieces will brown evenly. Turn the hens skin side up and broil for about 10 minutes longer, or until the skin is browned and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a fork.

7. To serve, rewarm curry sauce. Set a mound of rice in the center of each large warmed plate. Arrange 2 legs and 2 breast halves around the rice and spoon the curry sauce over the rice and hens.

Chef David Ruggerio of Le Chantilly in New York City Food and Wine March 1995

Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 02-23-95

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