Cornish Game Hen

Tonights dinner started with prosciutto and cantaloupe. Then I made a succulent Cornish game hen with a herbes de provence butter. I made slots in the skin of the hen and stuffed it with the butter. I also stuffed it with rosemary and garlic. I roasted it for 45 mins. I also steamed an artichoke and sautéed some asparagus. Here are the recipes. 






    Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons of herbes de provence
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 4 poussins (young chickens; about 1 pound each) or 4 small Cornish hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each)

Directions

Preheat oven to 475° F.

Discard gizzards from birds and trim necks flush with bodies if necessary. Rinse birds inside and out and pat dry. Starting at neck end of each bird, slide fingers between meat and skin to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Cut butter into sixteen 1/4-inch-thick slices and gently push 4 slices under skin of each bird, putting 1 slice over each breast half and thigh. Tie legs of each bird together with kitchen string and secure wings to sides with wooden picks or bamboo skewers.

Arrange birds in a flameproof roasting pan large enough to hold them without crowding. Gently rub birds with lemon halves, squeezing juice over them, and season with salt and pepper. Roast birds in middle of oven 30 minutes (for poussins) to 45 minutes (for Cornish hens), or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (be careful not to touch bone) registers 170° F.

Transfer birds to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Add Sauternes to roasting pan and deglaze over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits. Transfer jus to a small saucepan. Skim fat from jus and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Garnish birds with herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 very ripe melon
• 4 slices Prosciutto-style ham (such as Parma ham, Jambon de Bayonne or Jambon de Paris), sliced very thinly (you should practically be able to read through it)

Directions

1. Halve and seed the melon. Slice into grins, and peel. If you like, remove the fat from the ham, which looks better than if you don't. Arrange the melon slices on a plate, drape the ruffled ham slices over, and serve.