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
| Butter/Margarine | 3/4 Cup (16 tbs), divided | |
| Onion | 1 Large, chopped | |
| Celery | 1 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| Shallots | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| Pepper red | 1 Small, chopped | |
| Green pepper | 1 Small, chopped | |
| Garlic | 2 Clove (5gm), minced | |
| Bay leaves | 2 | |
| Oysters | 2 Dozen, shucked | |
| Dried thyme leaves | 3/4 Teaspoon, divided | |
| Oregano leaves | 1/2 Teaspoon, dried | |
| 3/4 teaspoon TABASCO pepper sauce, divided | ||
| Cooked rice | 5 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 6 Cornish game hens | ||
| Salt | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Flour | 1 Tablespoon | |
| Chicken broth | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
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.
Chef
