{Read a little more about the
unexpected spices in this dish.}

It might look like there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but many are things you probably already have in your cupboard. Combined and perfectly balanced as they are here, they come together into a brand new flavor that Chris and I had certainly never tasted before and that was completely unexpected. Rich with layers of sweetness and warm spices, it’s incredibly satisfying but not at all heavy. It’s also so easy to make and looks very impressive when plated.

Don’t be afraid of the hens. The original Renaissance recipe calls for capons or pheasants, but Cornish game hens are a great substitute. They have a stronger, more concentrated flavor than run-of-the-mill chicken, which really adds some depth to the dish.  And they are so small and easy to work with that carving them into nice portions is a breeze.

 
The birds are poached in chicken stock until nearly done, and then finished off with all of the spices. Our recipe includes really simple instructions for making your own stock together with the hens during the first cooking. This is fantastic if you don’t already have some stock in your freezer, and it really doesn’t add too much work to the dish.  If you already have some good chicken stock, you can skip everything from the onions through the bay leaves, below, and poach the chicken in your stock instead of water. But, to be honest, this is so easy to throw together all at once, that you may as well save that awesome stock you have in reserve and follow the recipe as-is.

 
One last note: You will be tempted to place a soup spoon next to your gorgeous bowls of food, but I assure you that is not necessary. The broth will soak into the bread slowly as you eat, and by the time you are done, you will have magically consumed every last drop.

Cornish Game Hens in Potaccio
Serves four

2 Cornish game hens
Water to cover
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic (crushed), plus one clove for the toast
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup raisins
1 whole nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (maybe a pinch more cinnamon and ginger, to taste)
One fat pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) saffron threads
3 tablespoons verjuice (or substitute 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of orange juice)
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, finely minced
4 very thin slices prosciutto, chopped
Salt to taste
Four thick slices of crusty country style Italian bread
About 4 teaspoons olive oil

Cook the hens and the broth
Place the hens in a stock pot and add enough water to cover them well. Add onion, carrot, celery, four cloves garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the hens are almost done, about 15-20 minutes. To check for doneness, cut into the thickest part of the breast with a knife. The meat should look cooked, but the juices should be pink.  Remove the hens from the pot, and continue to simmer the stock until it is reduced by half.  Strain out the vegetables and discard. This can all be done up to one day ahead.

Make the potaccio
Pour four cups of your broth into a straight-sided sauté pan or braising pan, reserving any extra in the freezer for future use.  Add the raisins, whole nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and saffron to the broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

While the broth is simmering, carve the hens. First, remove the leg and thigh portions each in one piece, including the bones. Take each breast and slide your thumb along either side of the rigid, keel bone, which runs between the two halves of the breast, to loosen. Remove this piece, along with the rib bones, leaving you with a nice boneless breast. Watch for little pieces of the rib cage that you may have missed. Divide each breast into its two halves and set aside. Add the leg and thigh portions to the pan of hot broth and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Finish up and serve
While the legs are cooking, drizzle each slice of bread with about a teaspoon of olive oil, and rub with a cut garlic clove.  Toast under a hot broiler until quite dark, but not burned.

When the legs are done, add the breasts to the pan and simmer until they are just heated through. Add the parsley, prosciutto, and verjuice or fruit juices and simmer for just about 30 seconds more.  Season with salt to taste.

To serve, place one piece of toasted bread in each of four, shallow soup bowls. On each slice of bread, place one half of a hen breast and one leg and thigh portion.  Ladle broth liberally over the whole dish, and serve while piping hot.