I am embarrassed to say and that I have been meaning to make this stew for over 3 years. What possible reason for it to take that long for me to make this?
I think I'll take a philosophical point of view on this one and say that the time had to be ripe, the planets had to align and so this was the right moment. Oh well!
I will say this though, now that I have made it, I won't stop. It's that good.
With utmost respect for Cordon Bleu, unlike so many of their recipes that are over done (which is the reason I have such respect for Richard Grausman and his books) this one is marvelous - in it's simplicity, in it's flavor - just simply, honest food the way I like it best.
I have omitted 2 steps from the recipe that I thought were unnecessary - 1) I have not double stewed the Savoy cabbage 2) I did not truss the Cornish hens.
I also only ever do the bouquet garni, using the Grausman method (shown below).
Before I get carried away, let me tell you a little something about this stew - large quarters of Savoy cabbage, thick slices of Kielbasa polish sausage, lardons of bacon nestle perfectly moist little Cornish hens. This is achieved by first roasting and then adding the birds to the stew.
The original recipe calls for guinea hens which are much gamier but I could only find Cornish hens which I have substituted here.
What makes this stew unique is that unlike most stews where all the ingredients are cooked together in a big pot and the flavors meld, this stew is a fine representation of palimpsest - a juxtaposition of flavors since each key ingredient - cabbage, bacon, sausage & cornish hens and quickly prepared separately and put together at the very end.
Don't be distressed by what sounds like a lot of work. I usually begin in this stew in the morning for a nice luncheon or a small dinner party or for just for a special family meal. A nice green salad and some crusty bread is all that it takes to finish the meal.
It is great as leftovers the next day which is always welcome with our busy schedule.
1 medium head Savoy cabbage, 4 cornish hens or 2 qty 2 lb each guinea hens, 1 medium yellow onion, 3/4 lb thick cut bacon, 3/4 lb carrots, 1 lb Polish Kielbasa sausage, 3 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth, 2 tbs softened unsalted butter, 1-1/2 tbs vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
for bouquet garni: 8 sprigs thyme, 5-6 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves, 1 thick stick celery & kitchen trussing twine
for the cornish hens: 8 sprigs thyme, 8 cloves peeled garlic, 3/4 tbs salt & 2 tsp ground black pepper, 3 tbs softened unsalted butter
Bouquet garni using the Grausman method - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but of equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows (what else would u call it?) Place the bay leaves covering the thyme followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.
Interlock the two celery sticks together squishing together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen twine.
Cook's Note: There you have it - bouquet garni without the cheesecloth! I have used this method time and time again over decades and it works well every time.
Cabbage: Peel and discard the outer leaves. Halve cutting from top to bottom woody knob. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Set aside.
Onion: Peel, cut away ends and discard the skin. Finely slice and set aside.
Carrots: Peel and cut into 1/4" thick circles. Set aside.
In a large dutch oven or brazier or pan capable of going from stove top to oven, on medium heat, add 1 tbs vegetable oil and 2 tbs butter.
Once the butter has melted and froth settled down, add the onion and saute for a few minutes until softened but not colored.
Add the carrots and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage, bouquet garni, chicken stock or broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven at 425 deg F
Pull out a large chicken roaster. Pat dry the cornish hens on kitchen paper towels. Place in the roaster.
Generously season each of the hens with salt and pepper all over on including the inside. Divide the thyme sprigs and garlic among the hens and stuff each. Using hands rub softened butter all over the birds. Roast the hens in the hot oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile,
Kielbasa sausage: Cut into 1/4" thick diagonals. In a cast iron pan or a non-stick pan, heat 1/2 tbs of the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the kielbasa and saute for about 5-10 minutes until the sausage is a glossy golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Bacon: Cut into 1/2" wide lardons and add to a empty sauce pan. Cover with tap water. Bring to a rolling boil and drain into a sieve discarding all the water. Repeat once more to remove all excess salt.
In the same pan used to saute the kielbasa sausage, heat the pan and add the bacon lardons and saute until a golden brown. Set aside.
Remove the roaster from the oven. Remove the birds from the roasting pan and set aside on a platter.
Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the roasting pan and using a spoon scrape any brown bits into the stock. Using a fat seperator, discard all excess fat.
Once the cabbage has cooked, add the stock from the roasting pan to the casserole. Add the bacon and sausage and arrange the roasted birds in the pan. Cover with a lid and on low heat cook for another 20-25 minutes. Taste and adjust the soup. Discard the bouquet garni.
Gently remove the birds on a cutting board and cut each in half.
Serve directly in each serving shallow soup bowl. Place 1/2 a cornish hen in each bowl. Divide and ladle the soup with carrots and surround with cabbage. Pile the sausage over and around the hen.
Garnish with a little finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread and some excellent wine.
Cook's note: Though this makes excellent leftovers, I would enjoy the first serving, hot and straight off the stove.
Recipe for
Cordon Bleu's Pintadeux au Choux ~ Stewed Cornish Hens with Polish Sausage & Savoy Cabbage
Serves 8
Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1-1/2 hour
Baking time: 25 minutes
Shopping list
1 medium head Savoy cabbage
4 cornish hens or 2 qty 2 lb each guinea hens
1 medium yellow onion
3/4 lb thick cut bacon
3/4 lb carrots
1 lb Polish Kielbasa sausage
3 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
2 tbs softened unsalted butter
1-1/2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
for bouquet garni: 8 sprigs thyme, 5-6 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves, 1 thick stick celery & kitchen trussing twine
for the cornish hens: 8 sprigs thyme, 8 cloves peeled garlic, 3/4 tbs salt & 2 tsp ground black pepper, 3 tbs softened unsalted butter
for garnish: 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bouquet garni using the Grausman method - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but of equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows. Place the bay leaves covering the thyme followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.
Cabbage: Peel and discard the outer leaves. Halve cutting from top to bottom woody knob. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Set aside.
Onion: Peel, cut away ends and discard the skin. Finely slice and set aside.
Carrots: Peel and cut into 1/4" thick circles. Set aside.
Method:
In a large dutch oven or brazier or pan capable of going from stove top to oven, on medium heat, add 1 tbs vegetable oil and 2 tbs butter.
Once the butter has melted and froth settled down, add the onion and saute for a few minutes until softened but not colored.
Add the carrots and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage, bouquet garni, chicken stock or broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven at 425 deg F
Pull out a large chicken roaster. Pat dry the cornish hens on kitchen paper towels. Place in the roaster.
Generously season each of the hens with salt and pepper all over on including the inside. Divide the thyme sprigs and garlic among the hens and stuff each. Using hands rub softened butter all over the birds. Roast the hens in the hot oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile,
Kielbasa sausage: Cut into 1/4" thick diagonals. In a cast iron pan or a non-stick pan, heat 1/2 tbs of the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the kielbasa and saute for about 5-10 minutes until the sausage is a glossy golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Bacon: Cut into 1/2" wide lardons and add to a empty sauce pan. Cover with tap water. Bring to a rolling boil and drain into a sieve discarding all the water. Repeat once more to remove all excess salt.
In the same pan used to saute the kielbasa sausage, heat the pan and add the bacon lardons and saute until a golden brown. Set aside.
Remove the roaster from the oven. Remove the birds from the roasting pan and set aside on a platter.
Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the roasting pan and using a spoon scrape any brown bits into the stock. Using a fat seperator, discard all excess fat.
Once the cabbage has cooked, add the stock from the roasting pan to the casserole. Add the bacon and sausage and arrange the roasted birds in the pan. Cover with a lid and on low heat cook for another 20-25 minutes. Taste and adjust the soup. Discard the bouquet garni.
Gently remove the birds on a cutting board and cut each in half.
Serve directly in each serving shallow soup bowl. Place 1/2 a cornish hen in each bowl. Divide and ladle the soup with carrots and surround with cabbage. Pile the sausage over and around the hen.
Garnish with a little finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread and some excellent wine.
Cook's note: Though this makes excellent leftovers, I would enjoy the first serving, hot and straight off the stove.
Enjoy!
