Holiday Hens with Fig Glaze and Cornbread Stuffing

Name: Holiday Hens with Fig Glaze and Cornbread Stuffing
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 118 milliliters balsamic vinegar; 4 servings Freshly ground black pepper; 118 milliliters chicken stock, homemade or store-bought; 4 cornbread muffins, torn into pieces, or 1/2 loaf cornbread, cubed (about 2 cups); 4 Cornish game hens, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 237 milliliters rehydrated dried figs, roughly chopped; 355 milliliters dried California figs, pitted and roughly chopped; 2 Tbsps all-purpose flour; 59 milliliters heavy cream; 59 milliliters honey; 4 servings Kosher salt; 2 Tbsps lemon juice; 2 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 4 servings Pepper; 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves; 4 servings Salt; 113 grams loose sweet Italian sausage; 1 stick unsalted butter, for the glaze; 4 Tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature; 710 milliliters warm water

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Holiday Hens with Fig Glaze and Cornbread Stuffing It is perfect for Thanksgiving. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 2 hours. It is an expensive recipe for fans of Southern food.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Begin by re-hydrating the figs. In a large mixing bowl add the figs, honey, lemon juice and cover with warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 25 minutes until the figs are tender and soft. Strain the figs and reserve the liquid - as this will be the base for the glaze.

Ingredients you will need

Lemon Juice

Base

Honey

Water

Figs

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Plastic Wrap

Mixing Bowl

To make the stuffing, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onions with rosemary.

Ingredients you will need

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Rosemary

Stuffing

Onion

Add the sweet Italian sausage and continue to saute until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. When done, scrape it all into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces and figs and season well with salt and pepper. Give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and set it aside while you work on the hens.

Ingredients you will need

Sweet Italian Sausage

Salt And Pepper

Cornbread

Stuffing

Cream

Stock

Figs

Egg

Equipment you will use

Mixing Bowl

Whisk

Wash and clean the birds. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and fill with stuffing. Dot the top of each bird with butter and season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Stuffing

Butter

Lay out on a roasting tray and pop into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. While they are roasting, set the fig liquid over medium-high heat and add balsamic and butter. Reduce until syrupy and baste the birds with 10 minutes to go. When done, an instant-read thermometer should registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Figs

Pop

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Oven

Equipment

Recommended wine: Riesling, Sparkling Wine, Zinfandel

Riesling, Sparkling Wine, and Zinfandel are great choices for Southern. In general, there are a few rules that will help you pair wine with southern food. Food-friendly riesling or sparkling white wine will work with many fried foods, while zinfandel is great with barbecued fare. You could try Bully Hill Vineyards Dry Riesling. Reviewers quite like it with a 5 out of 5 star rating and a price of about 14 dollars per bottle.