Good evening and welcome to the What's for Dinner Café, a place to share recipes and culinary traditions and discuss good food with cyber friends.
Tonight I'm sharing a recipe that's easy to make, tastes fantastic and looks pretty darn nice on the plate. It's elegant enough to serve as a holiday dish by the way if you're still looking for something to serve on New Years Day. At the Lear house these hens are frequently served with a spinach salad, wild rice, carrots and fresh cranberry sauce. Your favorite rose wine would round out the meal.
Cornish Game Hens Stuffed with Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms
The Stuffing
1/2 pound Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup peeled and chopped yellow onion
2 1/2 cups julienned fresh fennel bulb
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
4 1 3/4-pound Cornish hens
Method:
Brown the sausage until crumbly. Drain and discard the fat. Combine the sausage with the rest of the stuffing ingredients.
Rubs the hens with crushed garlic, oil, salt and pepper, and stuff. Roast at 350 in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Split in half and serve. Serves 6-8.
Put your feet up and stick around a while. Tell us what you're eating for the holidays. If you have a tradition, please share what you do and with whom.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season to you and yours.