Recipe of the Week (Holiday Series): Thanksgiving Hens from Food Network Host Chef Sara Moulton

Host of Food Network’s Sara’s Secrets, Chef Sara Moulton puts a  tasty spin on a traditional Thanksgiving recipe with her Rock Cornish Game Hens. Each person gets his or her own bird. It’s a recipe that mimics the Thanksgiving bird but can be made in one-tenth the time!

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 60 to 65 minutes

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375° F; arrange the frozen sausages in a shallow roasting pan and roast until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes. Set the sausages aside until they are cool enough to handle; then slice them crosswise, 1/4-inch thick. Reserve the pan. Turn up the heat to 500ºF.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop one onion and finely chop the other. Combine the sliced sausages, bread, finely chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the sage, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season the hens inside and out with an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Stuff each hen with one fourth of the bread mixture and tie the legs. Arrange the hens on a rack in the shallow roasting pan and drizzle the wine and remaining1 tablespoon butter over them.
• Roast the hens for 20 minutes; add the coarsely chopped onion to the pan. Continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh joint registers 170° F. Remove the hens to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the roasting pan on a burner; add the broth and bring to a boil stirring to loosen any brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Whisk together 1/4 cup water and the flour; add to the roasting pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 3 minutes. Serve the hens with the sauce.

Ingredients:

• 6 frozen breakfast sausages
• 2 small onions
• 4 slices homemade-style white bread, torn into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 4 Cornish hens (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each), rinsed and dried
• 1/2 cup white wine or Vermouth, optional
• One 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth or 1 3/4 cups Chicken Stock (page 000)
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

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