MUSHROOM AND WALNUT STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Mushroom and Walnut Stuffed Cornish Hens image

This is a simple and easy recipe for roasted Cornish hens. This changes things up a bit from chicken!

Provided by Bizou

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Cornish Hen Recipes

Time 1h30m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (10 ounce) package button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
ground white pepper to taste
⅓ cup toasted walnuts
3 tablespoons dry white wine
4 Cornish game hens
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme

Steps:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and white pepper. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring often, until moisture has evaporated and mushrooms start to brown, about 12 minutes.
Stir walnuts and white wine into the skillet. Cook, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, until wine has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, 10 to 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Season Cornish hens inside and out with remaining 1 teaspoon salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Open cavities gently with your fingers; stuff with mushroom mixture. Pull skin back in place to cover stuffing. Place hens breast side-up in a roasting pan.
Roast in the preheated oven, basting once or twice with juices from the pan, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F (82 degrees C), about 45 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 755.1 calories, Carbohydrate 13.3 g, Cholesterol 309.9 mg, Fat 52.2 g, Fiber 5.8 g, Protein 57.1 g, SaturatedFat 14.3 g, Sodium 1028.4 mg, Sugar 2 g