Cornish Game Hens with Smoked Shrimp and Brandy Stuffing
While this recipe recommends using smoked shrimp for the stuffing, you can substitute smoked oysters or mussels.
This recipe can also be made with a single 3½- or 4-pound roast chicken. As with the game hens, rub the chicken inside and out with oil and seasonings and fill it with the stuffing. Then roast it at 375° until a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh reads 165° (about 60 to 80 minutes). And while this recipe recommends using smoked shrimp for the stuffing, you can substitute smoked oysters or mussels.
Yield:
4 to 8 servingsFor the stuffing
Ingredients
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
½ shallot, minced
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups finely diced day-old French bread
3⁄4 cup smoked shrimp (or oysters or mussels)
½ cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon brandy
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position.
Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the onion, celery, and shallot. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, about six minutes. Put the bread and smoked shrimp into a medium bowl, then add the onion mixture and toss. In a small bowl, stir together the chicken stock and brandy, then sprinkle over the stuffing and toss until everything is evenly mixed.
For the hens
Ingredients
4 Cornish game hens, about 2 pounds each, giblets removed
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Rub the outside and inside of the birds with the oil, salt, pepper, and paprika, then set them on a rack in a large roasting pan. Fill the birds with the stuffing, leaving them untrussed, and roast until the thighs move loosely in the joints, about one hour. Transfer the birds to a platter, and tent it with foil as they rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot (for eight servings, cut each hen in half lengthwise).
