Wild Mushroom Stuffed Cornish Game Hens - Main dishes

Serves six.

With their delicious flavour, easy-to-handle skin, quick cooking time, Cornish game hens have everything to make your feast a success!

Ingredients

3 Cornish game hens

Stuffing

30 g butter
1 shallot, minced
250 g of your choice of wild mushrooms*
30 ml dry cider
Salt and pepper to taste
*If you are on a tight budget, you may also use 200 g of Paris mushrooms to which you could add a few dried wild mushrooms (and a small amount of fresh mushrooms, if you wish).

Sauce

15 g butter
2 shallots, minced
100 ml cider
500 ml brown poultry stock**
200 ml 35% cream
Salt and pepper to taste
You could also add mushrooms to the sauce, especially if you have too much for your stuffing (approximately 100 g, sweat them first).
** Brown poultry stock: stock made by roasting poultry meat and bones and vegetables to brown them before adding the cooking liquid and herbs.

Preparation

Begin with the stuffing: finely mince the mushrooms.
Sweat* the shallot in butter in a saucepan, then add the minced mushrooms.
Cook until all the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated.
Deglaze with cider, reduce until dry ** and season. Reserve until the mixture has been completely reduced.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
Cut the hens in half and stuff them under the skin (lift the skin slightly and insert approximately 25 mL of stuffing for each).
Place the hens in an ovenproof dish and roast approximately 30 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 73°C (165°F).
Meanwhile, make the sauce: sweat the shallots in butter, add the wild mushrooms, sweat for 2 minutes more.
Add the cider and reduce to three quarters.
Add the brown stock, 35% cream and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste and serve with the Cornish game hens.
* Sweat: cook in butter without browning.
** Reduce to dry: cook until there is no trace of liquid.

Serve with: Oven Roasted Root Vegetables.
A recipe from our chef, Nicole Anne Gagnon.

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