Fit for a king!

This past Monday I had the day off, so I decided to have some friends over for a meal. Well, it turned into a pretty big deal! Check out the menu:

~Raspberry marinated cornish hens~

4 cornish hens
1 12 oz pkg frozen raspberries
1 500 ml bottle red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

In a blender, combine red wine vinegar with raspberries, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Place the hens in a large zip top bag and pour marinade over them, reserving about 1/2 cup. Zip the bag making sure to carefully squeeze out as much air as possible. Marinate for 2-4 hours.

Once finished marinating, cook hens for 1 hour and 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, turning over once (start breast side down). Brush the remaining marinade over the hens to glaze and cook for another 5 minutes making sure glaze does not blacken.

~Stuffed Peppers~

1 onion, chopped
1 head of garlic, minced
1 fennel bulb and some of the stems, chopped
1 5 oz pkg of prosciutto, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
8-10 oz crispy bacon
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

In a large, hot skillet, caramelize onion and fennel, then add garlic, being careful not to burn it. Mix together with the other ingredients and fill 10-12 roasted bell peppers of your choice of color with the mixture. Cook for approximately 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Once out of the oven garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

We served this with 2 choices of wine:

Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintners Blend, 2005
Folie a Deux, Menage a Trois Red, 2006

Ciao,
Tony