Some bird...and a Cornish Game Hen

Decided to try a three course dinner for two tonight featuring Cornish Game Hen as the main. I threw together a caprese as the starter to snack on while I cooked, which was delicious, as per usual. That's another no fail.



I sauteed mushrooms with shallots, butter, a mix of fresh herbs (marjoran, thyme, rosemary, and basil), and bread crumbs. When hot and mixed, I used this as a stuffing for the hens, sealing it in with half of a lemon, and then tying in the legs to close the bird.

I stuffed the skin with small amounts of butter and drenched the outside of the bird in lemon juice. I baked at 375 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes covered, and then uncovered to brown for the last 30. I found the breasts ended up a little dry, so would only cook uncovered for 20 minutes the next time (it was plenty cooked at an hour, could certainly go with less). At the 30 minute point I did add more lemon juice to the skin.

While it cooked, I wilted watercress leaves in garlic, half of a white onion, and a tiny bit of olive oil. It takes a while for the leaves to finally wilt, but once they do they do FAST. They do require attention because of this. I placed the relatively bland garlic/salad mixture in the bottom of a serving bowl in two nests (ha! Get it?!)

I reduced white wine then with garlic, spring onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and finally heavy cream. I finally strained it into a saucer for serving over the hen.

When the hens were done, I placed the entire bird over the bed of watercress and poured two spoonfuls of the white wine, cream and parsley sauce over the top (it is SUPER rich, so minimal amounts go a long way).

I topped it off with freshly chopped flat parsley leaves. It was DELICIOUS. The flavors complimented each other, and although the salad was bland, the sauce overflowed into it making a perfect dressing.



The stuffing inside the bird was so earthy and delicious, and created a nice balance to the richness of the cream and the tartness of the citrus.




Bread crumbs are always an absolute necessity in stuffing. Even in more unique stuffing with beans and chorizo (which are delicious!). The bread crumbs hold the whole mixture together and absorb all the extra moisture, even as the meat cooks.

Dying to try a similar recipe with red wine.....maybe a port based brown sauce with a red wine based stuffing. Stay tuned!

Finished off the three courses with the chocolate strawberries from Valentine's Day and a Gorgonzola Dolce (such a perfect combo). Next time might switch it up with dark chocolate strawberries for a more sophisticated pairing, but milk chocolate was the perfect comfort for the end of this particular meal!



And with that full belly, good night!