Stuffed Cornish Hens

Stuffed Cornish Hens

4 cornish hens, 1½-2 lbs each, rinsed and patted dry

For the stuffing:

4 cups cooked wild rice, prepared acording to package instructions

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, minced

½ cup carrot, peeled, minced

½ cup celery, minced

1/2 to 1 cup of your favorites dried fruit, chopped (we used cherries, figs, craberries prunes)

4 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for buttering the roasting pan

salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 375˚F.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until tender and tranlucent but not browned, about 6-8 minutes. Remove and transfer to a bowl. Add the prepared wild rice and chopped dried fruit. Toss to combine. Season to taaste with salt and pepper.

Generously butter the inside of a roasting pan. Season the Cornish hens all over with salt and pepper. Stuff them with as much of the rice mixture as will fit in each one and transfer to the baking dish. Brush each hen with the melted butter and season a little more.

Roast, uncovered, for about 1 hour-to-1 hour and 20 minutes or until the hens are a deep golden brown and the juices run clear when pierced. Serve with fig sauce.

Fresh fig and wine sauce

1 cup dry red wine

juice of 2 oranges

zest from 1 orange

6 fresh figs (if available), cut in half

1 shallot, minced

1½ cups chicken stock

2-3 tablespoons fig marmalade (you can use orange instead)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine

1 tablespoon butter

juice of 1 lemon

In a saucepan over medium heat, reduce the wine with the orange juice, zest and shallots by half. Add the figs, chicken stock, marmalade, sugar and reduce by half again. Add the herbs, butter and lemon, season with salt and pepper.