6 Rock Cornish game hens
2 medium carrots
3 stalks celery
10 ounces mushrooms
4 medium shallots
1 small onion
salt and Accent to taste
prepared mustard flour
chicken stock
red currant jelly
spice bag containing 1/2 teaspoon ground fresh oregano, 3 whole black peppercorns crushed
Rub the hens with prepared mustard. Mince the vegetables very fine to make what the French call a mirepoix. Butter a roasting pan, add the mirepoix to cover the bottom of the pan and place the hens on top of this mixture, and sprinkle .with seasonings. Brown them in a hot oven (450 degrees F) turning occasionally. When evenly colored, reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Cook breast-side up until tender When hens are cooked, the leg meat is soft, and the bone will turn with a little pressure. Remove the hens from the pan, add a little flour to the mirepoix and the juice left in the pan to make the roux. Add chicken stock an and thicken to the consistency desired. If no chicken stock is available, make some from chicken bouillon cubes. Next add the spice bag and one large tablespoon of good red currant jelly. Allow to simmer 15 minutes, then strain through a fine cheesecloth. Place hens in the sauce in a roasting pan and simmer in a low oven for 10 minutes.