Swedish Spring Chickens

Name: Swedish Spring Chickens
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 or 4 Cornish game hens, or 2 small, whole broiling chickens; 2 bunches approximately, fresh, clean parsley (preferably Italian); 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or as desired; 2 cups chicken stock; 2 teaspoons butter; 1 1/2 tablespoons flour; 1 cup heavy cream, or as desired; Additional salt and white pepper as desired

By Robert Farrar Capon

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 4(15)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: NOT JUST GARNISH, PARSLEY CAN PLAY A LEADING ROLE

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3 or 4Cornish game hens, or 2 small, whole broiling chickens
2bunches approximately, fresh, clean parsley (preferably Italian)
4tablespoons butter at room temperature
1½teaspoons salt, or as desired
2cups chicken stock
2teaspoons butter
1½tablespoons flour
1cup heavy cream, or as desired
Additional salt and white pepper as desired

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Wipe the birds, inside and out, with a cloth wrung out of hot water. Dry well. Butter the cavities of all the birds, using two tablespoons of the butter. Stuff the birds fairly tightly with parsley (stems and all) and truss with string.
Step 2
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a deep, large skillet or Dutch oven and put in the birds, backs down. Brown the backs, then turn the birds to brown lightly on all sides. Add salt and chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Baste occasionally during cooking.
Step 3
Remove the birds to a serving platter and keep warm. Knead the 2 teaspoons of butter and the flour together, using your fingertips, and add this paste bit by bit to the simmering liquid in the skillet, using only as much as is needed to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the cream and boil the mixture hard until it has a saucelike consistency. Pour some of the sauce (strained or not, as desired) over the birds and pass the rest in a sauce boat.