Another way to use these nuts and I’ll bet you have never tried them.
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup EACH of finely chopped celery, carrots and onion.
- 2 flat leaf parsley sprigs
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 jar peeled, cooked whole chestnuts, crumbled (approx. 15 ounces)
- 1/4-1/3 cup Madeira
- 1/4-1/3 whipping cream
- cheesecloth and some string
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat and stir in the carrots, celery and onion and….this is different….cover the vegetables with parchment paper that has been buttered on the side touching the food, cover with a lid and sweat for about 15-16 minutes. The veggies, not you!
Wrap the parsley, cloves and bay leaf in the cheesecloth square and tie off with some string.
Discard the parchment paper, add the broth and the cheesecloth bundle and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Add the chestnuts, Madeira and simmer, covered for about 3 minutes.
While hot (and be careful here) pour in a blender in small batches and puree until smooth. Strain into a clean pot, add the cream, pinch of salt and pepper and reheat. Do not boil now or it will separate. Stir occasionally to mix well and serve.
This makes an elegant first course for you and your guests.
Cornish Game Hens With A Madeira Citrus Sauce
I love cornish game hens and, like most people, tend to ignore them for periods of time. Try this and the sauce will make you want to cook this more often.
4 frozen cornish game hens, thawed
salt
pinch of pepper
3/4 cup melted butter
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Run cold water through the cavity of the hens and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle cavity of each hen with a pinch of salt and pepper. Tie the legs together and arrange with breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with butter.
Roast for 15 minutes, uncovered, then lower the temperature to 400 degrees.
Turn the hens upside down. Pour 1/2 cup water over the hens and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Turn the hens one more time, baste with pan drippings and now, uncovered and basting often, roast a further 30 minutes, until tender.
Sauce
1/4 cup orange peel
1 1/2 tbsp. lime peel
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 cup, red currant jelly
1/2 cup Madeira wine
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. ginger
pinch of salt
drop of Tabasco
In a small saucepan, combine the orange and lime peels and juices and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the peels become translucent.
Add the wine, currant jelly, mustard, ginger, salt and Tabasco. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce to 1 1/4 cups, then cool for 10 minutes.
To serve, plate each one and pour sauce over. Any extra pour into a bowl for everyone to add more if needed. (there won ‘t be any, but I thought I would add it anyway).