Cornish Hens A La Bourbon
Cornish Hens:
8 Cornish hens
Wild Rice Dressing (recipe follows)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. (3/4 lb.) butter, melted (or less)
1/2 c. bourbon
8 Tbsp. currant jelly, melted
Wild Rice Dressing:
1 c. wild rice (Uncle Ben's wild rice works well)
6 to 8 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1 c. white rice (regular)
1/4 c. (4 Tbsp.) butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 (4 oz.) cans mushrooms, drained, or 1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 c. slivered almonds
Giblet Gravy:
giblets (from Cornish hens)
1 tsp. salt
2 c. water
1 carrot
1 onion
2 stalks celery
2 Tbsp. flour
Cornish Hens:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash hens thoroughly. Fill breast with Wild Rice
Dressing and fasten neck skin on underside with toothpick or skewer. Stuff
cavity and lace with string and skewers. Bend wings into triangles and tie legs
together at end joints. Place hens on a shallow baking sheet, breast side up.
Mix salt and pepper with 1/2 cup butter and pour over them. Place in a 425
degrees oven. Roast for 20 minutes, basting 3 times with bourbon mixed with
remaining cup of melted butter. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast for 30
minutes. If drippings evaporate, add a bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup water.
Be certain to baste regularly so that the fowl is juicy. Pour melted currant
jelly over the hens during the last half hour of roasting for a higher glaze.
Reserve pan drippings to make Giblet Gravy.
Serves 8.
Wild Rice Dressing: Wash wild rice thoroughly. Pour into boiling, salted water.
Cover. Cook 15 minutes and add the white rice. Cook 30 minutes longer; drain.
Melt butter and saute onion and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Stir in slivered
almonds and then the cooked, drained rice. Stir until evenly mixed. Use as
dressing for Cornish hens.
Giblet Gravy: Simmer giblets for about 1 hour with combined ingredients, except
flour. Strain, reserving stock. Chop giblets coarsely. Mix flour with 1/2 cup
stock and then mix with remaining stock, pan drippings, and chopped giblets.
Heat.
Note: Instead of using flour, you can mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 4
tablespoons of cold water. AUTHOR: Chyrel |