Search This Blog

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Sweet Fall Feast: Recipe



Full disclosure: I made this dish for my family on the first night of Rosh Hashanah and, well, clearly I don't keep Kosher but I probably could have done a better job of keeping the pig out of the dish, had I paid better attention!

That said, this was terrific! It was inspired by a quick bite of a chef's 3pm trial of his own creation. Recently I was waiting for a late lunch at the take-out counter of a cool NYC restaurant and the chef wandered out with a new item he was trying: pan fried trout with roasted sweet potato, apple and sage. I looked longingly at the plate and he walked back into the kitchen to get me a fork. It was a fantastic - and served as the basis for this dish. 

I like making Cornish Hens because they cook up fairly quickly and they're easy to eat. This smelled delicious and looked so festive - the addition of the honey made it a perfect meal to celebrate the New Year. L'Shanah Tovah!

Cornish Hens with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Serves 4-6

4 Cornish Hens, rinsed clean and dried
3 med-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
3 med-large apples, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 oz finely cubed Proscuitto
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
6-8 med fresh sage leaves
Salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Bring medium saucepan to boil and add potatoes. Cook about 15 minutes and remove gently with slotted spoon. Reserve.

Meanwhile, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom on a large, heavy, oven proof pot (or roasting pan). Season hens with salt and pepper, liberally, and place in the middle of the pot. Sprinkle the Proscuitto around the hens and roast 15 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 and add the potatoes to the piles of Proscuitto and mix gently. Roast another 25 minutes. Then add apples and sage leaves to the sweet potato and Proscuitto and tuck one leaf into each hen.  Drizzle honey on the hens and the vegetable/fruit medley and roast for another 35-40 minutes. Let hens rest outside the oven for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.