Cornish Hens with Oyster Stuffing Mount Vernon and Sherried Pan Gravy

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 fresh Cornish game hens
Salt and ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
6 oysters, shucked, coarsely chopped, and strained through a fine sieve or coffee filter (reserve oyster liquor)
Pinch ground mace
3/4 teaspoon minced, fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup chopped onion
2-3 slices day-old bread, cubed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry, divided
Spiced or brandied fruit for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350oF. Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper.
In medium-sized skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup oyster liquor, mace and thyme. Add onion; cook 5 minutes until onion is tender and liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup.

In medium-sized bowl, toss onion mixture with oysters, bread cubes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sherry. Spoon oyster stuffing loosely into hens. Tie legs together and fold back wings.

In a small saucepan, melt butter; combine with remaining sherry and baste hens with mixture. Roast hens, basting occasionally, about 1 hour and 15 minutes longer or until juices run clear with no hint of pink when thigh is pierced. Remove hens from roasting pan, cut strings, place on serving platter and keep warm. Pour pan juices into a heat proof measuring cup or small bowl. Skim off 2 tablespoons of clear yellow drippings that rise to the top and return to pan. Skim off any remaining yellow drippings and discard. Reserve degreased pan juices to add to gravy with broth.

If desired, serve hens garnished with spiced or brandied fruit. Serve with sherried gravy.