Cornish Game Hens With Apricot-Fig Stuffing
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Yields:
-
4 Hens
- Serves:
- 4
ingredients
-
Hens
- 4 Cornish hens
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1⁄4 cup minced sage or 1/4 cup thyme
- 1⁄3 cup minced rosemary
-
Stuffing
- 3 -4 cups dried whole wheat french bread or 3 -4 cups other hearty bread
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1⁄2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1⁄3 cup boiling water
- 1⁄3 - 1⁄2 cup chopped dried fig
- 1⁄3 - 1⁄2 cup chopped dried apricot
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
- 1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
-
Glaze
- 1⁄2 cup apricot jam
- 3 -4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- fresh rosemary sprig (to garnish)
directions
-
Hens:
- Preheat an oven to 400°F
- Rinse the birds and pat dry.
- Rub inside and out with the salt and pepper, then with the sage/thyme and rosemary.
- Discard the herbs or, if you prefer, leave some of them clinging to the skin or tucked under the skin. (This is my preference).
-
Stuffing:
- Place half of the bread chunks in a large bowl mixed with the dried figs and apricots, rosemary, thyme, walnuts, salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the boiling water and pour the mixture over the stuffing mixture, turning it to soak all the pieces, about 10 minutes.
- Mix stuffing well with your hands, forming a bit of a 'paste'.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the paste and set aside.
- Add the remainder of the bread chunks to the main stuffing mixture and stir lightly to incorporate.
- Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup stuffing into the cavity of each bird. Do not pack the cavities too full.
- Gently slip your fingers between the skin and the meat of the breast to make a pocket, and tuck some of the 'paste' stuffing under the skin and gently massage the breast of the bird to even it out.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the breasts.
- Place the birds, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 35 minutes.
-
Glaze:
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the jam and vinegar and heat, stirring occasionally, until a syrup forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the birds from the oven and, using a pastry brush, coat them with the glaze.
- Return the birds to the oven and roast until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with the tip of a knife, about 20 - 30 minutes more.
- Remove the birds from the oven, garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve. Serves 4.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Well, I guess you might say it's now AKillian24.5 - as we are expecting late this year. A very welcomed surprise, this will be our first child (of the non-fur variety) and we couldn't be more excited.
As I'm still working full time and prepping for life's next chapter, I've been cooking less frequently and offline a bit more than usual. I still love to pop into CC to visit the many people I consider friends.
Have a wonderful holiday season!