Main Ingredients:

3 Cornish game hens
2 oz. fatback, diced
sage, to taste
thyme, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 oz. lamb casings
3 oz. assorted mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
parsley, chopped, to taste
garlic, pared, minced, to taste
root vegetables, (carrots, celery, onions), as
needed
1-1/8 lb. potatoes, pared
1 tbsp. oil
3/4 lb. parsnips, pared,
3/4 lb. carrots, pared
6 oz. shallots, pared
6 oz. red wine
3/4 pt. veal stock
tomato paste, to taste
arrowroot, as needed
oil, as needed

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Remove legs and wishbones from hens. Remove skin from legs; render until crisp. Reserve rendered fat and skin. Trim meat from legs; reserve bones. Grind meat to desired consistency. Dice liver and heart; combine with ground leg meat, fatback, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Place in piping bag with 1/4-in. tip. Rinse lamb casings with cold water; fill gently with sausage mixture. Do not overfill. Tie off into 4-in. lengths. Refrigerate until chilled.

Place mushrooms and butter in saute pan; saute until very soft. Add parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Let cool. Using small knife, make incision on each hen from wishbone to tip of breast to create pocket. Place cooled mushrooms into piping bag; pipe into breasts of birds. Pull skin over incision, and tuck underneath hen.

Place root vegetables (carrots, celery, onions) in roasting pan to form bed; lay hens over. Baste with reserved rendered fat. Tournee potatoes to cocottes; reserve trimming. Place oil in skillet; heat until hot. Pan-fry potatoes until golden; place with parsnips, carrots and shallots in roasting pans. Season. Roast at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove root vegetables; discard. Remove fried potatoes, parsnips, carrots and shallots; reserve warm. Cut breasts from hens; reserve warm. Chop carcasses; add with reserved leg bones to roasting pan. Heat for 5 minutes. Pour off excess fat; return to heat. Stir in wine; reduce by half. Add veal stock and tomato paste; reduce by half. Strain through fine sieve; absorb excess grease with paper toweling. Thicken with arrowroot if desired. Season.

Heat small amount of oil in saute pan; add sausages. Saute until cooked through. Reserve warm. Heat enough oil for deep-frying reserved potato trimmings to 375 degrees F; deep-fry potatoes until crisp.

TO SERVE

Slice breasts at angle; arrange with sausages, potatoes, parsnips, carrots and shallots on plates. Serve sauce separately.

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