MINIATURE ROAST BIRDS FOR THANKSGIVING

Start to finish: 2 hours, 15 minutes (40 active) Servings: 8

FOR THE STUFFING:

½ pound firm white, homemadestyle sandwich bread

¾ cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup finely diced celery

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon lemon zest

6 cooked breakfast sausages (about 6 ounces raw), sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick

½ to ¾ cup chicken broth Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE HENS:

4 Cornish hens (2 pounds each) Oil for brushing the skin

FOR THE GRAVY:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil Giblets from the hens (save the livers for another use)

1 small onion, sliced thin ½ medium carrot, sliced thin ½ cup red wine

3 cups chicken broth

4 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

MAKE THE STUFFING: Preheat the oven to 250 F. Cut the bread into ½inch cubes and spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them until barely golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

In a medium skillet, cook the onion and celery in the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about five minutes. Transfer the vegetables and butter to a medium bowl. Stir in the herbs, lemon zest, bread, sausages and enough of the stock to moisten the cubes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

MAKE THE HENS: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Stuff each hen with ½ cup of the stuffing and tie the legs. Rub the oil over all the hens and arrange them in one layer on a rack in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the hens for 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg thigh joint registers 165 F. Transfer the hens from the roasting pan to a platter and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

MAKE THE GRAVY: While the hens are roasting, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the giblets, onion and carrot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the giblets and vegetables to a small saucepan. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, scraping up the brown bits; simmer until reduced by half. Add the wine and chicken broth to the saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer until the hens come out of the oven. Strain out the giblets and vegetables, return the liquid to the saucepan and bring it to a boil. In a small bowl whisk together 1/3 cup water and the flour and add it to the liquid in a stream, whisking. Add any juices from the platter with the resting hens. Simmer the mixture for a 5 minutes; salt and pepper to taste.

TO SERVE: Cut each hen in half and transfer to eight plates with the stuffing side down. Pour some of the gravy over each portion and serve the remainder on the side.

Nutrition information per serving: 39 calories; 138 calories from fat; 15 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 141 mg cholesterol; 680 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 32 g protein.