Thanksgiving Hens

• 6 frozen breakfast sausages
• 2 small onions
• 4 slices homemade-style white bread, torn into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 4 Rock Cornish hens(1 to 1 1/4 pounds each), rinsed and dried
• 1/2 cup white wine or vermouth, optional
• One 14- or 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth or 1 3/4 cups Chicken Stock
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375F; arrange the frozen sausages in a shallow roasting pan and roast until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.
2. Set the sausages aside until they are cool enough to handle; then cut them into 1/4-inch slices.
3. Reserve the pan.
4. Turn up the heat to 475F.
5. Meanwhile, finely chop one onion and coarsely chop the other.
6. Combine the sliced sausages, bread, finely chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the sage, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
7. Season the hens inside and out with an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
8. Stuff each hen with one fourth of the bread mixture and tie the legs.
9. Arrange the hens on a rack in the shallow roasting pan and drizzle the wine and remaining 1 tablespoon butter over them.
10. Roast the hens for 20 minutes.
11. Add the coarsely chopped onion to the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh joint registers 170F.
12. Transfer the hens to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, put the roasting pan on a burner; add the broth and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any brown bits in the bottom of the pan.
14. Whisk together 1/4 cup water and the flour; add to the roasting pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
15. Simmer 3 minutes.
16. Serve the hens with the sauce.

sausages, onions, bread, unsalted butter, sage, thyme, kosher salt, white wine, chicken broth, flour

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/thanksgiving-hens (may not work)