Recipe copyright ©Maria Helm Sinskey
I like to use purple grapes for this dish because their skins give beautiful color and flavor to the sauce. If you can’t find thick-skinned black grapes, substitute a variety of red seeded grapes.
Serves 4
1 2 ½ pound Guinea Hen
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
16 cippolline onions
2 cups Concord, Ribier or Niabell grapes, halved and seeded
1 cup un-oaked fruity white wine
1 ½ cups reduced chicken stock
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut the hen into 8 pieces, 2 pieces each per breast, 2 thighs and 2 legs, season well with salt and pepper.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the hen pieces, skin side down. Brown the skin well, about 5 minutes, then turn over and brown on the other side. Remove the browned hen pieces from the pan and place on a plate.
Drain the fat from the pan and add the 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter starts to brown on the edges, add the onions and sauté them until they are golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Toss them as you sauté them to get good color on all sides, season with salt and pepper.
Add the grapes to the pan with the onions and sauté for 3 minutes until their juices start to exude and their skin colors the pan, season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and reduce a boil until almost dry, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, thyme leaves and the hen pieces, skin side down, back to the pan. Bring the stock to a boil and place the pan in the preheated oven. Roast the hen for 15 minutes then turn the hen pieces skin side up. Add a little water, ¼ to ½ cup if the pan juices seem dry. Continue to roast the hen for 20 to 25 minutes until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.
Remove the hen pieces to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. If the pan juices are too reduced, add a little water to thin them to au jus consistency. Season the jus to taste with salt and pepper and spoon over the top of the hen. Serve with roasted potatoes, farro or wild rice.