Description
This recipe is from epicurious and they say: "this fricassee couldn't be more french, but its velvety sauce carries the flavor of vadouvan, a south indian spice blend that has started to crop up on parisian menus. We find it irresistible.". Time given does not include making vadouvan (make a couple of days ahead and have ready)
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil
- Cold Water
- Carrot
- Celery Rib
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Thyme Sprigs
- Clove
- Bay Leaf
- Black Peppercorns
- Cornish Hens
- Leeks
- Dry White Wine
- Heavy Cream
- Mixed Spice
- Onions
- Shallot
- Fenugreek Seeds
- Curry Leaf
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Cardamom
- Brown Mustard Seeds
- Turmeric
- Nutmeg
- Hot Red Pepper Flakes
- Ground Cloves
Instructions
- Vadouvan:
- Preheat oven to 350f with rack in middle
- Pulse onions in 3 batches in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, transferring to a bowl
- Repeat with shallots, then garlic
- Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then saut onions, shallots, and garlic until golden and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes
- Grind fenugreek seeds in grinder or with mortar and pestle
- Add to onion mixture along with remaining ingredients, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and stir until combined
- Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined large 4-sided sheet pan and spread as thinly and evenly as possible
- Bake, stirring occasionally with a skewer to separate onions, until well browned and barely moist, 1 to 1 1 / 4 hours
- Cooks
- Make stock:
- Heat oil in a heavy medium pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers
- Cook backbones and wing
- Add water and bring to a boil, skimming froth occasionally
- Add 3 cups reserved chopped leek greens, plus remaining ingredients and boil, uncovered, 30 minutes
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on and then discarding solids
- Boil stock until reduced to about 2 cups
- Make fricassee:
- Pat hens dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 / 2 teaspoon pepper
- Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers
- Brown hens in batches, turning once, about 8 minutes per batch
- Transfer to a plate
- Halve white and pale green parts of leeks lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch pieces and wash
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook leeks with 1 1 / 2 teaspoons salt and 1 / 4 teaspoon pepper over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and scraping up brown bits, until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes
- Add wine and bring to a boil
- Stir in stock, cream, and vadouvan
- Nestle hens, skin sides up, into leeks
- Cover with a round of parchment paper
- Gently simmer 10 minutes
- Remove parchment and simmer until hens are cooked through, about 10 minutes more
- Transfer hens to a platter and simmer sauce to thicken slightly if desired
- Cooks
- Reheat gently