Ingredients

  • 4 poussins
  • Marinade
  • 8 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped
  • 8 cloves, whole
  • 120 milliliters sherry vinegar
  • 235 milliliters white wine
  • For cooking Hens
  • 45 milliliters olive oil
  • 2 onions thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 235 milliliters chicken stock
  • 100 grams sugar, granulated
  • 120 milliliters brandy
  • Garnish
  • fresh mint, thyme, oregano

Directions

1. Wash and pat hens dry; cut off wing tips. With a skewer, poke holes all over each hen. Tie legs together with string.
2. Marinade: Mix marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl; add hens, tossing them to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Turn hens in marinade several times. Remove hens from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking. Set aside.
3. To cook Hens: In a large pot, big enough to hold all poussins, heat oil and sauté onions until caramelized. Add hens, season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade and stock over hens. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to low. Cover hens tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil, place lid on pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400*F/200*C/GM 6.
5. Remove hens from pot, reserving stock, and place in baking pan. Brush hens with olive oil and bake uncovered in oven for 15 minutes or until done.
6. Meanwhile, discard bay leaves and defat stock. Caramelize sugar to golden brown. Pour caramelized sugar & brandy into pot. Cook sauce until reduced to about 2 cups.
7. To Assemble: When hens baked, cut them in half, place them on a serving platter, and keep warm. Pour off fat from baking pan, deglaze with brandy, and add this glaze to sauce. Pour sauce with onions over and around hens, and place 1 garlic clove on each plate. Garnish with optional fresh herbs.

Notes
Notes:Original serves 8. Substitute 1 whole chix. Make stock with boney parts. then do 1/2 of recipe to serve 4.


Categories
Game, main course, main courseChicken
Keywords
Game, main courseChicken, main course
MacGourmet downloadCornish Game Hens in a Sweet and Sour Sauce, braised. To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.