Sep-dinner roasted cornish hens - shiitake basil stuffing

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
¼ cup Butter
2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 Leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 Garlic clove, minced
5 cups French bread, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
¾ cup Whipping cream
½ cup Fresh basil, packed, chopped
¼ cup Sherry
1 Egg, beaten
6 Cornish hens
¼ cup Butter, melted
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
2 Shallots, minced or green onions
1 Garlic clove, minced
4 teaspoons All-purpose flour
1½ cup Chicken stock
¼ cup Sherry

Directions

SAUCE

In skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook mushrooms, leek and garlic for 3 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, stir together bread, cream, basil, sherry and egg; add to cooled mushroom mixture.

Using kitchen shears, remove backbones from hens by cutting along each side. Bend legs back to sever joints. Ease boning knife between ribs and meat. Holding bones with left hand, use short strokes to cut meat from rib cage of each Cornish hen. Using kitchen shears, snip rib cage free from body at collarbone.

Lay hens, skin side down, on work surface; mound ½ cup bread mixture in centre of each breast. Shape hen into original shape to enclose stuffing.

Holding skin together with 1 hand, secure with poultry pin. Plump birds to form round shape; fold wings underneath and tie legs together.

Place hens on rack in roasting pan; brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 375F 190C oven for about 45-55 minutes or just until juices run clear when hens are pierced. Transfer hens to warm platter; tent with foil.

Sauce: In roasting pan, bring cooking juices to boil over medium-high heat.

Add shallots and garlic; simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until thickened. Whisk in chicken stock and sherry; bring to boil. simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce coats back of spoon. Strain sauce; serve with Cornish hens.

Recipe by Anne Desjardin, Co-owner L'Eau la Bouche Restaurant and Hotel, member of Relais & Chteaux, Ste-Adle, Quebec, Canada Luncheon Menu:[originating chef indicated] Smoked Salmon Tartare [Alan Johnston] Oxtail Consomm [Jamie Kennedy] Roasted Shrimp With Chanterelles And Sweet Corn [John Bishop] Roasted Cornish Hens With Shiitake Basil Stuffing [Anne Desjardin] Fresh Pear Ice Cream [Daphna Rabinovitch] Source: Canadian Living magazine, Sep 94 Presented in article by Donna Paris: "Julia Child Comes For Lunch" [-=PAM=-] PA_Meadows@...

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