Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 30 minutes; cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients

  1. 4 semi boneless Cornish game hens (ask your butcher to remove bones from poultry or click here to learn how to do it yourself)
  2. 4 semi boneless quail (ask your butcher to remove bones from poultry or click here to learn how to do it yourself)
  3. Salt & Pepper
  4. 2 Tbsps. of canola oil
  5. Mushroom stuffing (recipe below)
  6. Quail Henin sauce (can substitute store-bought brown gravy)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven 450° F.
  2. Remove quail wings; remove bones from quail legs, thighs.
  3. Season skin side of quails w/Salt & Pepper.
  4. Heat 1 Tbsp. canola oil in large sauté pan; place quails skin side down in pan; cook on medium heat until skin is brown, crispy; remove from pan, cool.
  5. Lay open 1 game hen; spread thin layer of mushroom stuffing (about ¼ inch) over open hen.
  6. Lay 1 seared quail skin side down on top of stuffing layer; add another ¼ inch of stuffing on top of quail.
  7. Fold up hen/stuffing/quail layers so looks like whole game hen; use thick cotton string (aka kitchen twine) to tie around the game hen to help hold shape.
  8. Repeat steps 5 thru 7 w/remaining hens, quails, stuffing.
  9. Brush the tops of the final wrapped game hens w/remaining canola oil; liberally season tops w/salt and pepper.
  10. Place wrapped hens in large casserole dish or roasting pan (make sure hens don’t touch in pan) w/leftover quail parts (can also add some celery, carrots)
  11. Bake about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 ° F. and hens are browned.
  12. Remove from oven; let sit for about 15-to-20 minutes.
  13. Remove string; serve w/quail sauce and your favorite seasonal vegetables.

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Chef Tee’s Mushroom Stuffing
Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 10 minutes ; cooking time: 10-to-15 minutes
Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsps. canola oil
  • 2 Tbsps. butter, unsalted
  • ¼ cup white or yellow onion, diced
  • ¼ cup celery, diced
  • 2 cups day old bread, diced and toasted
  • ¼ to ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
  • 1 egg

Directions

  1. Heat canola oil, butter in large sauté pan over medium heat.
  2. Add onions, celery, mushrooms; cook until mushrooms slightly browned.
  3. Add bread; stir; make sure bread is coated; cook until bread slightly toasted.
  4. Add in chicken broth, egg; stir to combine—mixture should be moist and easy to spread.
  5. Stir in dry thyme, season w/Salt & Pepper to taste.
  6. Cool; set mixture aside.