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Duxelles-Stuffed Cornish Hen with Ratatouille.jpg

Duxelles-Stuffed  Cornish Hen With Rataouille

Prep Time 8 hours 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 25 minutes
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Servings

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 2 onions cut in half and sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves sliced thin
  • 1 large eggplant cut into large cubes
  • 4 small yellow squash cut lengthwise then sliced
  • 4 vine-ripened tomatoes roughly diced
  • 1 cup fresh parsley leaves minced
  • Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh tarragon  minced
  • 8 fresh basil leaves minced
  • 8 fresh sage leaves minced
  • 1 ½ cups dry white wine I prefer Chardonnay
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 package crimini baby bella mushrooms, minced
  • 1 package small white button mushrooms minced
  • 2 shallots 4 pieces, sliced very thinly
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 Cornish Hens ensure theyn are 1 - 1 ½ pounds, not larger
  • ½ of the reserved duxelles mixture

Instructions

  • Ratatouille:
  • Prepare the eggplant by cutting  into cubes, then laying on  a cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly  with salt and allow to sit for 30  minutes.
  • Using a large pot (6 quarts or bigger),  add your olive oil. When it  is hot, add the onions. When the  onions start to turn translucent  (5 to 7 minutes on medium-high  heat) add your garlic. When the  garlic starts to soften, lower your  flame to medium.
  • Add the eggplant, stirring it  into the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and let sweat for about  5 to 7 minutes or until it starts to  soften. Then add your zucchini  and squash, cover, and leave to  sit for 3 to 5 minutes, just enough  for it to start to soften.
  • Add your tomatoes, fresh  herbs, and white wine. Stir  gently to incorporate. Cover and turn flame to medium-low heat,  and let simmer for 30 minutes  or until all vegetables are tender  but not mushy. Add salt and  pepper (to taste) at this point.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer  ¾ of the ratatouille into a  separate pot to cool and reserve.  Refrigerate.
  • Using a stick (immersion)  blender, blend the remaining  liquid and ratatouille well. Cool  completely and reserve.
  • In 2 extra-strong, 2-gallon  Ziploc bags (double bag if need  be) add one half of the cooled  liquid from the ratatouille,  and 2 Cornish hens. Marinate  overnight.
  • Duxelles:
  • Heat the oil in a large sauté  pan, and when oil is hot, add  shallots. When the shallots become clear (5 minutes on high  heat), add the mushrooms.
  • Lower heat to medium-high  and cook the mushrooms down  for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are  well-browned and have shrunk  considerably.
  • Add the white wine, and cook  for 5 minutes longer to reduce.  Cool completely and reserve.
  • Refrigerate.
  • To Prepare:
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Carefully separate skin from  breastbone using your fingers to  make a pocket of the skin.
  • Fill, but don’t overfill, the  pocket between skin and breast  with the duxelles mixture.
  • Cook breast-side down for  about 1 hour, or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of  thigh reads 180°F.
  • To Present:
  • Reheat the ratatouille and  duxelles. In the middle of the  plate, place a large spoonful of  ratatouille. Place Cornish hen,  breast-side down, in the middle  of the ratatouille, then garnish  with duxelles. For family-style  service, take a large serving  platter and spoon out the ratatouille,  then arrange the hens on  top. Then garnish with remaining  duxelles.