Quail or Partridge or Rock Cornish Hens with Raspberry Sauce

Instructions

Prepare Rich Brown Stock: In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and stir in carrot, onion and garlic; cook over medium low heat until soft.

Add bouillon, celery and herbs and simmer, uncovered, until stock is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 1 to 2 hours. Skim surface to remove foam as necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste and strain through a sieve. Makes 1/2 cup.

Truss birds with string to hold wings and legs close to the body.

In a heavy frypan, melt butter and sauté birds over medium high heat until browned on all sides. Place birds in a large casserole dish.

Pour off butter from frypan and add vinegar and brandy to pan; bring to a boil and stir to scrape up brown bits from bottom; add juice from raspberries and boil until reduce by half. Add Rich Brown Stock and simmer sauce for 2 minutes. (Recipe may be prepared in advance to this point.)

Pour 1/2 cup hot sauce over birds. Cook, covered, in 375 F. oven for 35 minutes (50 minutes for Cornish hens).

Stir cornstarch and water mixture into remaining hot raspberry sauce, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Just before serving, stir in raspberries. Use quail cooking juices to thin syrup if necessary.

Remove string from birds (cut Cornish hens in half) and arrange on a hot serving platter on top of a bed of Saffron rice with Currants. Ladle sauce over birds until glazed and pass remaining sauce separately. Makes 6 servings.

SAFFRON RICE WITH CURRANTS AND SNOW PEAS:

This flavorful rice dish goes well with any poultry, especially game hens.

1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup rose wine or 2 tablespoons medium sweet sherry
1/4 cup butter
2 cups converted long grain rice (Uncle Bens)
4 cups chicken broth
Large pinch of crumbled saffron threads or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound snow peas

Soak currants in wine until needed.

In a heavy medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in rice; cook over medium low heat, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Bring broth to a boil with saffron. Pour over rice; stir in basil, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, until all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in currants and wine. Spread on a large platter and arrange quail on top.

Steam or stir fry snow peas and place around edge or at ends of platter. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Canadian Living the Merry Christmas Cookbook Special

Author's Comments

Quail, partridge or rock Cornish hens can be used in this special recipe. Although the quail are much smaller than partridge, they take the same time to cook.

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