Autumn Fruit Cornish Hens
Serves 8
8 Cornish hens
Have the butcher cut them in half through the breast and back bone. I usually buy 1 hen per person - leftovers are great.
Marinade:
I use this much marinade no matter how many game hens I plan to cook.
12 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup red wine vinegar
cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup pitted green olives Two small jars. Do not get the ones with pimentos.
cup capers
tsp. salt
tsp. pepper
8 bay leaves
- - - -
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
THE DAY BEFORE:
1. Clean hens well under cold water. Pat dry.
2. Combine marinate ingredients, pour over hens in a large plastic bag (this is where the trash bags come into play). Marinate in refrigerator until ready to cook.
TWO HOURS BEFORE SERVING:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Arrange hens in 1 or 2 shallow roasting pans. Spoon all of the marinade over the hens. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and pour the wine around them.
3. Bake for 1 to 1 hours, basting frequently, until golden. At this point you can remove them from the oven, cover pan with foil and serve your first course.
4. Serve, spooning pan juices and fruit generously over game hens.
BON APPITIT!