(It Takes Long, But It’s Good!) Braised Cornish Hen in a Marsala Wine Reduction

STORY

Sometimes you discover a recipe that isn’t quick, but is so tasty, you have to share it. My braised cornish hen in a Marsala wine reduction is just that recipe. It takes a whopping 90 minutes to prepare (an hour of inactive cook time) – but it results in a tender, juicy, bird and a sweet, yet savory sauce. It’s the perfect big meal dish for a snowy day, or for Sunday dinner. Or if you are having a special someone over… or maybe a not so special someone. You’ll impress whoever eats it. It is that good.

A few notes. This recipe is an Sicilian twist on two French classics, Coq au Vin (chicken braised in red wine) and Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d’Ail (40 cloves of garlic chicken). Naturally, when you are cooking a dish for one you don’t need an entire coq, and chances are you don’t need 40 cloves of garlic, either. So this recipe calls for a Cornish hen and ten large cloves. I know, I know. It seems like a lot of garlic, still, but after the braising, the garlic becomes so soft, sweet and buttery, you won’t notice the garlicky taste. I promise.

RECIPE

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes on the stove, 60 minutes in the oven
• Total Time: 90 minutes

TOOLS

• 1 vegetable peeler
• 1 set of poultry or kitchen sheers
• small food processor
• tongs to handle hen
• 1 wooden cooking spoon
• 1 large oven safe pot (a dutch oven is preferred) or a 3-1/2-quart oven safe sauce pan

INGREDIENTS

1 Cornish hen
1/4 cup flour for dredging
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 roughly chopped carrot
1 roughly chopped onion
1 roughly chopped celery stalk
10 cloves of garlic, crushed with skin removed
2 tbsp of Italian seasoning
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1 tbsp of chopped parsley
1/2 cup of Marsala wine
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock (store bought is fine, if you don’t have any on hand)
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350° F/ 180° C.
2. Put carrot, celery, and onion into the food processor, and pulse until roughly chopped.
3. Remove cornish hen from packaging (making sure innards are removed), and cut hen along the breast bone with poultry or kitchen sheers until hen is split.
4. Remove excess moisture from hen with a paper towel and salt and pepper hen generously on both sides (I use about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper).
5. Pour 1/4 cup of flour on a plate and cover hen with flour. (Shake off excess flour.)
6. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil at medium-high heat in dutch oven or sauce pan until oil is hot.
7. Using cooking tongs, place hen in pan cut-side down, and cook for 5 minutes on each side (until chicken is browned).
8. Remove chicken quickly from heat and set aside on a plate.
9. Add mirepoix (chopped carrots, onions and celery) to the pot, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
10. Once onions are translucent, add garlic to the mirepoix and stir in 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning, fennel seeds and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes.
11. Add marsala wine and simmer over vegetables for 1 minute before adding the chicken stock.
12. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes to reduce, and return hen breast-side down to the mixture.
13. Cover hen with fresh parsley and 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning.
14. Cover the pot and place it in the oven.
15. Cook for 30 minutes, and then remove the cover and turn hen, coating the hen in the mixture.
16. Cook for 30 more minutes uncovered, and then remove from oven.
17. Enjoy!

(Photo Credit: Matthew G. Piccolo)