Apricot Sausage Stuffed Game Hens with Cranberry Port Wine Sauce

Apricot Sausage Stuffed Game Hens with Cranberry Port Wine Sauce

Serves 8

My Apricot Sausage Stuffed Game Hens with Cranberry Port Wine Sauce is a delicious and impressive looking special occasion dish that’s filled with essential protein and niacin. This dish pairs perfectly with my Saffron Quinoa Pilaf with Almonds, Dried Apricots and Spinach.
 

What You’ll Need:

A Roasting Pan

Tin Foil

A Large Mixing Bowl

A Small Mixing Bowl

A Sharp Kitchen Knife

Measuring Cups & Spoons

A Blender

A Sauce Pot with Cover

A Whisk

A Kitchen Spoon

Kitchen twine

A Meat Thermometer

A Serving Platter
 

Ingredients:

4 Organic Cornish Game Hens

3/4 LB Organic Ground Turkey

3 Ounces Dried Unsulphured Apricots

1 Tblsps Fennel Seed

2 Tblsp Fresh Chopped Sage

2 Tsp Garlic

3/4 Cup Cream Sherry

3 Tblsp Ground Flaxseed

2 Tblsp Grapeseed Oil

2 Cups Cranberries

3/4 Cup Port Wine

3/4 Cup Chicken Broth

1/4 Cup Dijon

1/4 Tsp Stevia

2 Tsps Arrowroot

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

1/4 Tsp White Pepper

1/8 Tsp Nutmeg

Fresh Herbs for Garnish
 

How To Put It Together:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the roasting pan with tin foil; this will help with clean up later on.

 

2) In a small mixing bowl, soak the apricots in the cream sherry to soften them; set aside. Into a large mixing bowl, crumble the ground turkey. Sprinkle the fennel seed, garlic and ground flax seed on top. Remove the apricots from the cream sherry and chop them finely. Add the apricots and any remaining sherry to the the sausage ingredients. Using clean hands mix the sausage ingredients together.
 
3) To stuff the birds under the skin: Place the game hens on your work surface, cavity facing you. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin from the breast meat, tearing the tendons that connect the skin to the flesh. Go as far as possible down the thigh as possible making ample room for stuffing. Divide the stuffing into four equal portions. Little by little push the stuffing up under the skin, spreading it out evenly over the entirety of the breast and thighs. Massage the outside of the skin to help even out the stuffing. Now truss the birds. Cut a piece of kitchen twine about 16 inches in length. Fold the string in half to determine where the mid-point lies. Tuck the wing tips under. Tie the the hen’s legs together securely at the mid-point of the string. Pull the legs down toward the cavity, creating a bed in the leg. Pull the string along either side of the bird’s body, over the wings and secure the string at the top of the bird around the neck area. If you get stuck, don’t panic; tie the legs of the bird together and tuck the wings. The idea of trussing is to get the bird in as tight ‘a package’ as possible so that it roasts evenly and presents beautifully. Line the birds up on the roasting pan. Drizzle each bird with a little grapeseed oil and rub it all over the skin. Place the the roasting pan in the center of the oven and roast for one and a half hours or until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when pierced into the thickest part of the thigh. Check the birds for browning at the hour; tent them with foil if necessary. Remove the birds from the oven and allow them to ‘rest’ for about 15 minutes.
 
4) For the sauce: To the blender add the cranberries, port wine, chicken broth, dijon, arrowroot, stevia and spices. Blend until the cranberries are broken down and the ingredients are emulsified. Pour the mixture into the sauce pot and place the pot over medium heat. Simmer the sauce, whisking occasionally, allowing it to thicken. When emulsified, cover the pot and remove it from the stove.
 
5) To present the game birds to your guests: Pour some of the sauce around the edge of the serving platter and spread it around with the back of a kitchen spoon. Arrange the birds in the center of the platter and decorate it with sprigs of herbs. To plate the dish: Cut each bird in half, then quarters. Spoon some sauce onto the bottom of each dinner plate and arrange half a bird on top. Decorate with herb sprigs.
 
6) Serve and enjoy!
 

Nina’s Tasty Tip:

Cornish game hens are a delicious alternative to the traditional turkey around the holidays. Plus these smaller birds make portion control simple.

 

Nutrition:

• 560 Calories
• 38 grams of Protein
• 17 grams of Total Carbohydrates
• 7 grams of Sugar
• 3 grams of Fiber
• 32 grams of Total Fat
• 8 grams of Saturated Fat
• 0 grams of Trans Fat
• 202 mg of Cholesterol
• 370 mg of Sodium
• 50% RDA Niacin
• 45% RDA Selenium
• 31% RDA Phosphorus
• 30% RDA Vitamin B6
• 21% RDA Riboflavin
• 20% RDA Zinc
• 19% RDA Potassium
• 18% RDA Manganese
• 15% RDA Iron
• 15% RDA Sodium
• 14% RDA Magnesium
• 13% RDA Thiamin
• 13% RDA Pantothenic Acid
• 12% RDA Vitamin E
• 12% RDA Copper
• 11% RDA Vitamin A
• Glycemic load: 6