Ingredients

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 celery stalk, minced

1 medium-sized onion, minced

12 ounces flaked crabmeat, shell removed

2 Tablespoons bread crumbs

4 de-boned Cornish hens, about 1 pound each

salt and pepper to taste

4 Tablespoon B & B Liqueur

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)

1 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

8 medium shallots, peeled and left whole

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons B & B Liqueur

2 ounces veal demi-glace

1 cup cream

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 10-inch skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until very hot. Add celery and onion and cook until just tender/ crisp. Remove from heat and stir in crabmeat and bread crumbs.

Season cavity of hen with salt and pepper and sprinkle each hen cavity with 1 teaspoon B & B Liqueur. Divide crabmeat mixture into equal parts, stuff into each hen and truss for roasting. Lightly dust each hen with four. In large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 3 Tablespoons olive oil. Place hens in skillet and brown lightly. Drain all but 2 Tablespoons oil; add whole shallots and bake for 25 to 35 minutes until juices run clear when hens are pierced with a fork; keep warm while making sauce.

Remove hens from skillet; reserve juices (skim any fat you can and discard). Increase heat to high; add B & B Liqueur to the pan juices and reduce by 1/2. Add cream, reduce to slightly thicken. Add demi-glace. Place shallots in sauce to reheat, add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a hen on each of four heated plates, make a line of sauce on each side of hen, and place shallot on each line.

Serves: 4

• L'Auberge Provençale on VirtualCities.com
• L'Auberge Provençale Bed and Breakfast Website
• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com)

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