Quail or Partridge or Rock Cornish Hens With Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 quail or 6 partridges or 3 rock cornish hens
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vinegar, preferably raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen raspberries, thawed (reserve juice)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

RICH BROWN STOCK (use 1/2 cup)

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 small onion, copped
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) can beef bouillon, undiluted
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare Rich Brown Stock: In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and stir in carrot, onion and garlic; cook over medium low heat until soft.

2. 2

   Add bouillon, celery and herbs and simmer, uncovered, until stock is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 1 to 2 hours. Skim surface to remove foam as necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste and strain through a sieve. Makes 1/2 cup.

3. 3

   Truss birds with string to hold wings and legs close to the body.

4. 4

   In a heavy frypan, melt butter and sauté birds over medium high heat until browned on all sides. Place birds in a large casserole dish.

5. 5

   Pour off butter from frypan and add vinegar and brandy to pan; bring to a boil and stir to scrape up brown bits from bottom; add juice from raspberries and boil until reduce by half. Add Rich Brown Stock and simmer sauce for 2 minutes. (Recipe may be prepared in advance to this point.).

6. 6

   Pour 1/2 cup hot sauce over birds. Cook, covered, in 375°F oven for 35 minutes (50 minutes for Cornish hens).

7. 7

   Stir cornstarch and water mixture into remaining hot raspberry sauce, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Just before serving, stir in raspberries. Use quail cooking juices to thin syrup if necessary.

8. 8

   Remove string from birds (cut Cornish hens in half) and arrange on a hot serving platter on top of a bed of Saffron rice with Currants. Ladle sauce over birds until glazed and pass remaining sauce separately. Makes 6 servings. For Saffron Rice with Currants and Snow Peas go to search for the recipe.

9. 9

   Canadian Living the Merry Christmas Cookbook Special.