Cornish Hens With Oyster Stuffing Recipe
Cornish hens with oyster stuffing is a filling seafood stuffed poultry preparation. Made with cooked oysters along with vegetables and garlic, herbed with thyme and oregano the filling is flavored with a dash of tabasco sauce. Combined with rice, the hens are stuffed with the seafood filling and oven roasted with a generous brush of butter. Served with a gravy prepared from pan drippings, it makes a great and filling meal fit for parties and ocassions.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 dozen fresh oysters, shucked, liquid reserved
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3/4 teaspoon TABASCO pepper sauce, divided
5 cups cooked rice
6 Cornish game hens
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
In large skillet melt 1/2 cup butter.
Add onion, celery, shallots, red and green peppers, garlic and bay leaves; cook 5 minutes or until tender.
Cut up oysters; reserve liquid.
Stir oysters into skillet with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce.
Cook 5 minutes longer.
Remove bay leaves.
Add rice and oyster liquid.
Wash Cornish hens; pat dry.
Stuff cavity of each hen with oyster stuffing.
Arrange hens on rack in shallow roasting pan.
Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter; stir in salt, remaining 1/4 tea spoon thyme and remaining 1/4 tea spoon Tabasco® sauce.
Brush hens with butter mixture.
Bake 1 1/2 hours or until hens are cooked; baste often with pan drippings.
To serve, spoon extra stuffing onto serving platter; arrange hens on stuffing.
To make gravy, pour excess fat from roasting pan; add flour to pan and stir.
Place pan on stove-top burner over medium heat; gradually add broth, scraping up bits from bottom of pan.
Stir constantly, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.
In large skillet melt 1/2 cup butter.
Add onion, celery, shallots, red and green peppers, garlic and bay leaves; cook 5 minutes or until tender.
Cut up oysters; reserve liquid.
Stir oysters into skillet with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce.
Cook 5 minutes longer.
Remove bay leaves.
Add rice and oyster liquid.
Wash Cornish hens; pat dry.
Stuff cavity of each hen with oyster stuffing.
Arrange hens on rack in shallow roasting pan.
Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter; stir in salt, remaining 1/4 tea spoon thyme and remaining 1/4 tea spoon Tabasco® sauce.
Brush hens with butter mixture.
Bake 1 1/2 hours or until hens are cooked; baste often with pan drippings.
To serve, spoon extra stuffing onto serving platter; arrange hens on stuffing.
To make gravy, pour excess fat from roasting pan; add flour to pan and stir.
Place pan on stove-top burner over medium heat; gradually add broth, scraping up bits from bottom of pan.
Stir constantly, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.
