Game Hens In Chocolate Sauce

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: GAME HENS IN CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Categories: Game, Poultry
Yield: 4 servings

Stephen Ceideburg
4 Game hens
Salt, pepper to taste
Olive oil
4 Garlic cloves, finely
-chopped
1 tb Red wine vinegar
3 c Chicken stock
1/2 c Dry vermouth
2 White onions, coarsely
-chopped
2 Not-too-ripe Bosc pears,
-peeled, halved, cored
12 To 16 whole chestnuts
-(prepared, from ajar)
2 oz Bitter chocolate, grated
8 Triangles of fried bread
-(see note)
Raisins, chopped parsley
-for garnish

This recipe was inspired by one using partridges that
appeared in "The Taste of Spain," by Camilla Jessel.

Season hens with salt and pepper. Heat a bit of oil in
a large heavy pan and brown the birds in it on all
sides. Add garlic to pan and stir until it takes on a
pale color. Add vinegar, 2 cups of the stock, the
vermouth and onions and bring to a boil. Lower heat,
cover tightly and cook gently until birds are very
tender, about 1 hour.

Heat remaining cup of stock in a pan large enough to
hold the pear halves. Add pears and poach until barely
tender; remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Add
chestnuts to poaching liquid and simmer until heated
through; remove and keep warm.

Remove birds to a heated serving platter or plates.
Strain cooking liquid, return to heat and add grated
chocolate, stirring until it is a good sauce
consistency. Pour over birds and garnish with pears,
chestnuts, the fried bread, a few raisins and some
chopped parsley.

Note: To make fried bread, cut crusts from 4 slices of
white bread, then cut slices diagonally to make 8
triangles. Fry quickly in a little hot oil until
golden on both sides. Drain and keep warm.

PER SERVING: 1,090 calories, 86 g protein, 52 g
carbohy- drate, 58 g fat (17 g saturated), 249 mg
cholesterol, 367 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Jayne Benet writing in the San Francisco Chronicle,
3/18/92.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg

-----