Recipe: Squash Baked Cornish Game Hen

"The Festive Edible Crock Pot"

 

The Bird Ingredients:

 

1 cornish game hen, room temp or slightly warmed ( choices market)

1 large turban squash or small pumpkin, room temp or slightly warmed

150g chorizo sausage

1 onion

3 sprigs thyme

1 sprig rosemary

2 tbl Butter

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp himalayn pink salt or celtic salt

Black pepper

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 350 F

Remove the seeds and pulp from the squash/pumpkin, season .

Season the bird cavity with salt and pepper.

Combine the herbs with the butter and rub under the skin of the bird, season.

Truss the bird with butchers twine making a figure8 under the drums, flipping onto the breast and tie behind the wings. Leave a tether of twine about 6inches to pull the bird out later.

Place the chorizo, and aromatics into the squash. Place the bird in, cover with more herbs and aromatics. Put the squash "lid" back on and place in a cast iron pan.

Roast in the oven on the middle rack @ 350 for 4 hours. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the center of the bird reaches 150 degrees.

Remove from the oven, remove bird and allow to rest covered.

Use the liquid in the squash to deglaze the caramelized bits from the pan. Reserve Chorizo for stuffing. Use remaining aromatics and a cup of the squash with the liquid to reduce with the pan drippings to form a gravy. Adjust the seasonings and puree using a hand blender.

Add the butter to the sauce while hand blender is on. Hold for plating.

 

The Stuffing Ingredients:

 

2-3 day old pretzel buns diced and dried

1 rib celery diced

1 onion diced

1 apple diced

1 pear diced

250 ml cider

1/3 cup raisins

Chorizo (reserved from previous recipe)

1tsp sage

1 tbl butter

 

Method:

 

Heat the cider and add to the raisins. Do this while preparing the bird in the morning.

Saute the onions, celery chorizo and apple/pear mix until softened.

Add the raisins and cider, allow to slightly reduce

Add the pretzel dice, season with salt, pepper and sage

Allow the mixture to moisten, add butter.

Reserve for plating.

 

The Root Veg Ingredients:

 

1 bunch kale

5 root vegetable varieties

50g camembert cheese

3 tbl pumpkin seeds

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 400

Select root vegetable varieties, peel and process according to spec, season with salt and oil.

Place on a baking sheet with parchment spaced enough for air flow to allow even roasting.

Roast until caramelized.

While still hot, toss with kale and camembert.

 

To Plate:

 

Carve bird into quarters.

Slice a sliver of the soft baked squash onto the plate.

Mound a serving of the cheesy root veg into the crescent.

Place desired portion of game hen onto vegetable, top with stuffing and a swirl of the squash gravy.