Main Dishes

Roast Cornish Game Hens with Sauteed Blueberries & Sweet Garlic Cloves    Roasted Duck with Blueberry Sauce   

ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAUTEED BLUEBERRIES AND SWEET GARLIC CLOVES   Chef/Owner Cory Schreiber, Wildwood Restaurant, Portland, Oregon Chef Schreiber sautés blueberries in butter with a splash of wine vinegar to make a wonderfully tangy sauce--guaranteed to enhance any fowl or game dish. Depending on the flavorings you choose, a basic blueberry sauce, salsa or chutney can go in many delicious directions.

	Ingredient	Quantity
	Cornish game hens or squabs, halved	4 halves (about 3 pounds)
	Balsamic vinegar	2 tablespoons
	Salt	1 teaspoon
	Ground black pepper	1/4 teaspoon
	Garlic cloves, peeled	16
	Unsalted butter, divided	2 tablespoons
	Honey	2 tablespoons
	Thyme sprigs	6
	Minced shallots	1/3 cup
	Fresh blueberries	2 cups
	Red wine vinegar	1 tablespoon

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Rub hens with balsamic vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Place on a rack in a roasting pan; roast until thigh juices run clear, about 35 minutes.

To prepare garlic: Blanch cloves in boiling water. In a skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the butter, the honey, thyme, garlic and 1/2 cup water. Simmer until liquid is reduced to a syrup and garlic turns golden brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes; remove thyme sprigs.

To prepare sautéed blueberries: In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add shallots; cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes. Add blueberries; cook until they soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in red wine vinegar; simmer until mixture has a saucy consistency, about 2 minutes.

To serve: Arrange each hen half on wilted escarole, if desired. Spoon sautéed blueberries and sweet garlic cloves around hens.

YIELD: 8 portions (about 2 cups sauce)  

ROASTED DUCK WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

	Ingredient                                                                 Quantity
	Fresh or frozen duckling                                        4 (about 5 lb. each)

Blueberry Sauce:

	Blueberries, fresh or frozen	1 quart
	Clear duck or meat broth	1 quart
	Light corn syrup	1 cup
	Orange marmalade	1/2 cup
	Lemon juice	1/4 cup
	Dried thyme, crumbled	2 teaspoons
	Fresh ground black pepper	As needed
	Blueberries, fresh or frozen	1 quart

METHOD:

Trim excess fat from ducks. Pierce skin all over with a fork, taking care not to pierce meat. Place ducks on roasting rack in pan and roast 1-1/2 hours at 325 °F.

To prepare sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients, except pepper; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Puree or sieve mixture, add pepper to taste and, if necessary, reduce to desired consistency.

Drain fat from pan. Baste entire surfaces of ducks with warm blueberry sauce and roast 30 to 40 minutes longer or until legs move easily at hip joint. Cool and remove breast with first joint of wing attached. Remove whole legs from carcasses. Reheat at 325 °F 12 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Before serving, add remaining blueberries to sauce.

Individual serving: Pool sauce on large dinner plate and serve half a duck on sauce; spoon additional sauce on top of duck. Shown served with pureed butternut squash, brussel sprouts and wild rice.