Game Hens With Madeira And Wild Mushrooms Recipes

Steps:

• Bring the rice, a pinch of salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan with a lid. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer the wild rice until the kernels burst open, 45 to 50 minutes. Replenish the water if necessary. Fluff the rice with a fork, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb water.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a baking dish large enough to hold the game hen.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and cook and stir the mushrooms over medium heat until they are partially cooked and starting to give their juice, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and butter into the cooked rice.
• Sprinkle the game hen, inside and out, with poultry seasoning, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Lightly stuff the Cornish hen with the wild rice mixture, and tie the legs together with cooking twine to hold in the stuffing. Slice 2 tablespoons of butter into small pats, and dot them around the bird.
• Bake the bird in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 40 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the game hen from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup chicken stock to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add mushrooms; soak 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving mushrooms and liquid separately.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Rub 1 tablespoon butter over outside of each game hen. Place in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 55 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste; stir 2 minutes. Pour in reserved mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment at bottom of bowl. Add beef stock, Madeira, thyme sprigs and 1 cup chicken stock. Simmer until reduced to thin sauce consistency, about 25 minutes. Stir in reserved mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve hens with mushroom sauce.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, pour the warm water over the dried mushrooms, weighting them down so that they are completely submerged and can soak for 30 minutes. Do not discard the soaking liquid! When soaking time is up, cut off and discard the tough stems (or freeze them for making stock). Squeeze the excess liquid from the mushrooms back into the soaking liquid, then strain the liquid through a dampened coffee filter to remove any fine grit. Slice the shiitake caps into thin shreds and set them aside.
• Wipe the cultivated mushrooms with a damp towel, trim off the stems (save for stock), and slice the mushrooms thickly. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a 7-qt. Dutch oven and saute the shallots in it over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots through the marjoram and cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Add both the mushrooms and saute, stirring, for 5 minutes (shiitake should never be eaten uncooked).
• Add the cooked rice, the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the tomato paste. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, then let cool slightly.
• Puree the soup in several batches in a blender or food processor. The soup should NOT be too smooth. Return pureed soup to the pot, stir in the cream, and reheat gently on low heat. Stir in the Tabasco and the Madeira, and taste to adjust seasonings. Serve hot, garnished with a few chives.

Steps:

• Remove broiler pan and put chicken stock in it.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Cut hens into halves and season with salt and pepper. Brush with butter and sprinkle with oil and place in broiler about 6 inches from heat for 35-30 minutes; turning and basting every 10 minutes.
• The hens will be done when juices run clear or yellow.
• Remove to a warm serving dish, cover with foil and keep in the turned off oven while finishing the sauce.
• Deglaze the broiler pan with the madeira wine, scraping bottom of pan with a fork to gather all sediment.
• Set pan over heat and warm and stir in cream by spoonfuls. Simmer 3 minutes and taste. Add salt and pepper.
• Use cornstarch, if you with to thicken, by diluting with 1-2 tablespoons cold water.
• Take hens out of oven and serve with the sauce drizzled over it.