Brandy-Buttered Cornish Hens with Pecan Stuffing
Recipe courtesy of: The Southern Living Cookbook
Servings 4 Hens
Ingredients
Cornish Hens
- 4 x 1 1/2lb Cornish hens
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine melted
- 3 tablespoons Apricot peach or plum flavored brandy (I use Apricot brandy)
- Fresh parsley sprigs garnish
- Apple slices garnish
- Green Grapes garnish
Apricot Stuffing
- 1 cup apple juice
- ¼ cup Apricot peach, or plum flavored brandy
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
- 1 8- ounce package cornbread stuffing mix
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Cornish Hens
- Remove giblets from hens. Rinse hens inside and out in cool water and remove excess fat and feathers, if any. Pat hens dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle cavities with salt and pepper
- Stuff hens with Pecan Stuffing, and close cavities. Secure with wooden picks; truss. Tie the hens' legs together with twine so that the legs cover the open cavity of each hen.
- Brush hens with butter and sprinkle generously with pepper. Combine remaining butter and brandy.
- Place hens, breast side up, on wire rack in roasting pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork, basting frequently with bandy mixture.
- Garnish with parsley, apple slices, and grapes.
Pecan Stuffing
- Combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until butter melts.
- Add stuffing mix and pecans; stir lightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Once stuffing is cool enough to handle, spoon stuffing to fill the cavity of each hen.
