Fruit-Stuffed Cornish Hens

I wish cornish hens were more affordable so we could eat them more often! They're faster to roast than a chicken and small enough that basted flavor becomes absorbed in all the meat. Plus, there's something kind of wonderful about having one all to yourself.

This recipe has a very special place in my heart. Chris and I made these hens for the first dinner with our parents when we first moved in together. It's easy enough for novices, but fancy enough to seem more complicated than it actually is. The bacon and madeira make it rich and festive, but the citrus/grape stuffing give it a light, fresh balance. This is a fun dish for two people to make together and it always reminds me of how proud we were to pull it off for our parents.

Note: This recipe is for 6 people - for 2 people I cut it down to 2 hens & 2 strips of bacon, but only reduce the stuffing and wine by half.

Fruit-Stuffed Rock Cornish Hens
from The Silver Palate Cookbook

6 Cornish hens
2 oranges
2 sticks of butter (salted, sweet if possible) - though I find it often takes only 1 to 1/2 sticks
1/2 cup yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 tart apples, cored and diced (but not peeled)
1 cup seedless green grapes
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 cup crumbs, from French-type bread
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
salt
pepper
paprika
6 strips of bacon, halved crosswise
1 cup dry sherry or madeira

- Rinse hens well and pat dry.
- Zest both oranges and set the zest aside. Cut the oranges in half and rub the halves inside and outside of the hens, squeezing out the juice as you go. Set hens aside in a shallow roasting pan (we generally use a Pyrex baking pan - you may need 2 pans for all 6 hens).
- Melt half the butter in a small or medium skillet. Add diced onion and cook on low heat (covered) for 10 -15 minutes, until onions are tender and lightly colored.
- Combine apples, grapes, parsley, bread crumbs, orange zest, and 1/2 tsp. of thyme in a small bowl. Pour butter and onions into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss lightly to combine - I usually just use my fingers to mix.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Stuff the hens with citrus/grape mixture and truss or skewer them shut.
- Season the outside of the birds with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Arrange 2 bacon pieces on top of each hen in an X. Dot with remaining butter, pour the sherry or madeira into the pan, and set in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour, basting frequently, until golden brown and juice runs clear when pierced.
- Transfer hens to serving plates. Remove remaining juice in the pans to a small saucepan and reduce over medium-heat to 2/3 the amount. Spoon reduced sauce over the hens.

*Hens go well with roasted potatoes, especially these amazing potatoes from smittenkitchen.com.