Elegant cornish hens

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
½ cup Sliced green onions
¼ cup Minced celery
2 tablespoons Butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 6 Oz Pkg Long-grain and wild rice mix
1½ cup Chicken broth
½ cup Apple juice
½ cup Unpeeled, finely chop Red Delicious apple
¼ cup Chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons Minced fresh parsley
6 1-1 1/2 lb Cornish hens
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Apple jelly
2 tablespoons Butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Applejack or other apple-flavored brandy
1 Red delicious apple, optional
1 Granny Smith apple, optional
Lemon juice, optional
Fresh parsley sprigs, optional

Directions

Saute green onions and celery in 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium saucepan until vegetables are tender.

Add rice mix, chicken broth and apple juice; stir. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped apple, roasted pecans and minced fresh parsley.

Remove giblets from hens, and reserve for other uses. Rinse hens with cold water, and pat dry. Sprinkle cavities of hens with salt and pepper. Lift wing tips up and over back of hens, tucking wing tips under hens. Stuff hens lightly with rice mixture, and close cavities. Secure with wooden picks, and tie leg ends together with string. Combine apple jelly, 2 tablespoons butter and brandy in a small saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring often, until jelly and butter melt. Place hens, breast side up, on a greased rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush hens with jelly mixture.

Bake at 350~ for 1½ hours or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork, basting frequently with any remaining jelly mixture.

If desired, quarter apples lengthwise; remove and discard cores. Cut each apple quarter into 4 wedge-shaped slices; separate apple slices to form a winged design. Brush cut surfaces of apples with lemon juice. Garnish hens with decorative apples and fresh parsley sprigs, if desired. Yield: 6 servings

Typed for you by Marjorie Scofield 8/20/96 Recipe by: Southern Living Five-Star Recipe Collection Posted to TNT - Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by Bill Spalding <billspa@...> on Apr 14, 1997

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