Shelly's Recipe

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Category: Chicken

4 (1 1/4– to 1 1/2–pound) Cornish game hens, giblets removed
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Wild Rice Sausage Stuffing, recipe follows
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
24 cloves garlic, peeled
6 fresh rosemary sprigs, rough chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken

Preheat oven to 450. Pat game hens dry with paper towels and arrange in a heavy roasting pan. Season cavities with salt and pepper, and stuff each game hen with about 1 cup Wild Rice Sausage Stuffing. Truss each game hen.

Rub each game hen with olive oil and lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper. Add used lemon quarters, garlic cloves. and rosemary sprigs to the pan. Roast for 20 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350. Pour wine and broth over game hens. Continue roasting until golden brown and juices run clear when thigh is pierced at thickest part, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices (about 20 additional minutes.) Pour pan juices into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Boil until thickened, about 6 minutes. Serve with game hens, if desired. Serves 4

Wild Rice Sausage Stuffing
1 cup wild rice
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped fennel
1 (8-ounce) container mushrooms
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Combine rice and stock in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 55 minutes. Drain.

Remove casings from sweet and hot sausages, and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Add onion, fennel, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add rice to the sausage mixture; simmer together for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool completely.