Cornish Hens Roasted over Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Cornish game hens split and roasted over savory stuffing are an easy-to-prepare festive meal. The stuffing is made with cornbread and pork sausage mixed with dried cranberries and apricots; however, the ingredients can be varied to taste. Once the dish comes out of the oven, it’s easy to serve, as no carving is required.

Baking this dish in convection ensures the hens and stuffing remain juicy and flavorful. You can easily roast a tray of vegetables at the same time to serve as a side. Maybe some green beans with pearl onions or Brussels sprouts with shiitake mushrooms. A crisp fall salad would also be a great complement to this easy meal.

INGREDIENTS

For the stuffing

2 fresh pork (or chicken sausages)

1 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped into ¼” pieces

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

4 cups cooked cornbread, crumbled

1 cup sourdough croutons

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup dried cranberries

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp minced fresh sage or 1 tbsp dried sage

1 cup chicken stock

For the hens

3 Cornish hens, split and dried with paper towels

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried oregano

PREPARATION

To make the stuffing, heat a medium saute pan over moderate heat, add a little olive oil, remove the sausage from the casing, add to the pan, and saute for 5 - 8 minutes until the meat has browned and rendered the fat. Remove the browned sausage meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat, add 1 tbsp butter, and saute the onion and celery for 3 - 4 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 2 - 3 minutes to soften. Combine the cooked vegetables with the sausage, cornbread, croutons, and dried fruit. Stir in the egg, melted butter, and sage. Fold in the stock, and press the stuffing into a greased 9 x 13” baking pan.

At this point, the stuffing can be refrigerated. Before continuing, be sure to bring the pan to room temperature.

Heat the oven in the Convection Roast or Convection Bake mode to 425 F/218C.

Rub the hens with a little olive oil. Combine the kosher salt, paprika, and oregano and rub into the hens. Nestle the hens into the stuffing and bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack in the oven at 425F/218C, then drop the temperature to 350F/180C for the remainder of the 35 minutes (20 minutes).

Serves 6