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Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
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Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

Hens are stuffed with a traditional apple and currant bread dressing and drizzled with a wine basting. Along with our standard holiday side dishes, the stuffed hens set the mood for an elegant Christmas feast. This recipe includes gravy. We usually cook 6 hens and adjust the recipe.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 hens
Author: Jeanette Ryan

Ingredients

Stuffing

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1/2 cup peeled diced red apples
  • 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 8 cups dried bread cubes
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth or slightly more if necessary for stuffing and/or gravy

Hens and Gravy

  • 4 1 to 1.5 lb Cornish game hens
  • cooking oil
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Stuffing

  • In a saucepan cook celery and onion in butter at medium-low heat until tender but not brown; add currants and apples and simmer on low for 5 minutes; remove from heat and stir in poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
  • Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked mixture. Drizzle with enough broth to moisten, tossing lightly

Hens

  • Preheat over to 350°F
  • Season cavities of hens with salt. Lightly stuff hens with bread mixture. Pull neck skin to back of each hen. Twist wing tips under back. Tie legs to tail. Place hens, breast side down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan
  • Brush with cooking oil; and roast in oven for 30 minutes.
  • Prepare basting mixture by combining wine, melted butter and orange juice into a small sauce pan over low heat.
  • Remove hens from oven after the 30 minutes and turn birds over to breast side up. Baste with wine mixture and return to oven for about 1 hour longer or until drumstick can be twisted easily, basting with wine mixture again half way through. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees. Remove to a warm serving platter; keep warm.

Gravy

  • Pour pan drippings into a large measuring cup. Skim fat; stir in remaining wine mixture. Add additional chicken broth, if necessary, to make 1.5 cups liquid.
  • In a small saucepan combine cornstarch, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon bouillon granules and salt. Add cooking liquid all at once. Cook at medium heat and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.