BRAISED GAME HEN PERNOD

Perhaps this appears to be a strange combination or a "no-no" for people who dislike the anise flavor of Pernod. Don't be put off by this. The Pernod ends up blending well with the other flavors and is so subtle you are left with a, "Mmmm... what is that ingredient?" reaction.

 You will need about 1 to 1½ cups of chicken broth. But the good news is that most fresh game hens come with giblets included. Sometimes the frozen ones don't, so you'll have to check. If you have no giblets then any chicken or vegetable broth will do, although commercial chicken broth is sometimes too "chickenee". If you have giblets, then make your own broth by adding about half a medium onion to 2 cups of water and the giblets. Let cook uncovered for 1 or 2 hours and it will reduce to 1 or 1½ cups.



Making Broth



Main Ingredients



Ingredients

1 Cornish Game Hen

1 Onion, diced

1 Celery stalk, diced

1 Carrot, diced

2 Carrots, halved

½ cup Rice

1-1½ cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth

¼ lb Pancetta, diced

¼ cup Pernod

1-1½ cups White Wine

1 Tbs Parsley, minced

cornstarch

salt & pepper

olive oil


Equipment

Dutch Oven just large enough to hold hen

small Fry Pan for Pancetta
2 or 3 Qt Sauce Pan for the gravy (Can be used to make broth, then rice, then gravy!)

Method

 Prepare vegetables. Diced veggies are for a bed in the Dutch Oven, so they can be chopped and added right away. Carrots halved will be added when the hen is, so set aside. Parsley can be minced and placed in a small bowl to await usage.

Bring 1 cup of the Broth to a boil. Add the Rice and stir with a fork. Then simmer with lid on constantly for 25 minutes*. Remove lid and fluff up rice with a fork. There still will be liquid in the pan. Turn off burner and let rice sit, covered, for 5 or more minutes until all liquid is absorbed. *While rice is cooking for the first 25 minutes, gently sauté the Pancetta in a small amount of olive oil. Stir often. When rice is finished, stir in the Pancetta, Salt and Pepper, and enough Parsley to make a colorful complement to the Pancetta. Add the rest of the Parsley to the veggie bed in the Dutch Oven.

Pancetta

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
While oven is preheating, rinse hen and pat dry. add the Pernod to the cavity and slosh around. Season cavity with Salt and Pepper. Use a little more salt than you think necessary.

 Stuff hen with rice mixture and tie up to seal. Retain the left over rice. Place hen on bed of vegetables and place carrot halves around it. Then pour in any unused Broth, White Wine and water, if necessary, to bring liquid just up to the bottom of the Hen. Place lid on Dutch Oven and bake at 350 for 1½ hours. After one hour, check on liquid level.

Ready for the Oven

Place left-over Rice mixture in a small ovenproof crock and place into the oven during to last 10 - 15 minutes to reheat.

When Hen is done, carefully remove it and Carrot halves to an ovenproof plate or pan and place back in oven. It will brown nicely while gravy is made. You might want to cover Carrots with a little foil, to keep them looking plump.
Strain braising liquid into sauce pan and correct seasonings. Make a gravy placing pan on medium heat and whisking, in a thin stream, a mixture of cornstarch dissolved in water. Bring to gentle boil whisking (and adding) until desired thickness is attained.
With a large knife or kitchen scissors, carefully cut the Hen in half by splitting the breastbone and backbone. Place the half Hen on Carrot halves, one Hen on each of two plates, add extra Rice around Hen and drizzle with a little of the gravy. Serve remaining gravy on the side.


Game Hen Pernod

Serve with a not-too-dry White Wine, Vouvray would be a good choice. Dave