From “Culinary Concepts,” by Judith Baigent. Serves 6.
Ingredients
3 game hens
3/4 cup flour
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons skinned and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup honey
1 cup mixed dried fruit
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Chopped parsley to garnish
Directions
Cut the game hens through the breastbone to open up flat and then cut along each side of the backbone and remove. Trim away any fat. (You can ask your butcher to do this for you.) Dry with a paper towel and sprinkle each piece with two tablespoons flour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a frying pan, brown the game hens on both sides. Transfer to a casserole dish large enough to hold six half hens. Continue browning the remaining hens. Add a little more oil to the frying pan and add the onions. Saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the stock, parsley, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This gives extra flavor to the sauce. Pour over the game hens, cover with a lid and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the honey, dried fruit and raisins to the sauce. Uncover and cook 10 minutes more.
In a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the almonds and saute until golden brown. Drain them on a paper towel.
To serve, put the game hen on a plate, spoon some of the sauce over it, sprinkle with the almonds and chopped parsley.
