Cornish Game Hens Canzanese
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Ingredients
- 2Cornish hens (1 *pounds each), quartered
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼pound thinly sliced lardo, pancetta or prosciutto, diced
- 5cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 3sprigs rosemary
- 3dried red chilis, broken
- 1cup white wine
- ½stick butter, cubed and kept cold
- 1½ounces thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, cut into thin strips
- ½pound arugula
- ⅓cup fresh currants
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fleur de sel
For the Hens
For the Salad
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
642 calories; 49 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 975 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season the hens with salt and pepper. Spread the lardo in the base of a large skillet set over medium heat. Add 2 of the garlic cloves, and cook, rendering the fat, until the lardo just begins to brown. Discard the garlic.
- Step 2
Increase heat to medium-high and add the hens, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden. Add 2 of the rosemary sprigs, the chilies and the remaining garlic. Turn the hens and add * cup of wine. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 minutes. Remove the breast pieces and let the legs simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, make the salad: combine the prosciutto, arugula and currants in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to mix. Season with fleur de sel, and add more olive oil, if needed.
- Step 4
Remove the lid from the skillet and discard the rosemary. Return the breasts, skin side up to the skillet and pour in the remaining wine. Boil down the juices and baste the hen parts for 1 minute. Pull the pan off the heat, add the butter and swirl to incorporate it.
- Step 5
To serve, sprinkle the hens with rosemary leaves from the remaining sprig, spoon over a little sauce and accompany each piece with some salad.
Private Notes
Comments
At the asterisk, the printed recipe calls for 3/4 cup of wine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup in Step 4.
Wow!
I bought a pair of game hens a couple of weeks ago with the intention of doing them the same old baked in the oven way. Instead, I did this recipe and boy am I glad I did.
Very, very easy and oh so tasty. Just plain wonderful. I have a folder of regular recipes, and this one now resides there. I highly recommend it,.
What does the asterisk next to wine mean
Possibly cook for 15 more minutes.
For those of you that can, Whole Foods carries Mary's brand of cornish hens that are air chilled and organic. The quality of these young chickens is excellent; yes, the price is more than the supermarket brands, but the quality is just wonderful. I haven't made this recipe yet, but will. My usual is to spatchcock the hen, season it and cook it on the charcoal weber grill over indirect heat for 50 minutes. The result is fantastic. Dinner for two.
Rich and delicious - by far my favorite thing is how the pancetta in the bird sauce connects with the prosciutto in the simple salad. We used dried cherries for the currants/pomegranate which worked well - and dried pepper flakes for the chilis. An excellent dinner for two. Game hens are easier to get cooked through because of their smaller size - which makes those in our family who have a difficult time with the slightest underdone birds happy!
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