Cornbread-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Corn Maque Choux

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons apple juice fresh ()
• 4  bacon halved
• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 0.5 cup celery chopped
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 
• 5 pound cornish game hens dry rinsed
• 1 large eggs beaten to blend
• 1 tablespoon sage fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 1.5 cups golden delicious apples diced cored peeled

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• ramekin
• wooden spoon
• aluminum foil
• skewers
• kitchen twine

Directions

1. Melt butter in heavy largeskillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onionand celery; sauté until beginning to color,about 5 minutes.
3. Add apples; sauté untilbeginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
4. Mixin sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoonpepper; transfer to large bowl.
5. Let standuntil almost cool, about 10 minutes.
6. Mix cornbread into vegetables.
7. Addegg and toss to blend.
8. Mix in cheese, thenenough apple cider by tablespoonfuls toform stuffing that is moist but not wet.
9. Sprinkle cavity of eachhen lightly with salt and pepper. Pack 1cup stuffing into each (place any leftoverstuffing into buttered ramekins and coverwith foil). Skewer cavities closed withtoothpicks or turkey lacers. Tuck wingtips under; tie legs together to hold shape.
10. Mix sage, coarse salt, and pepper in smallbowl; sprinkle over hens.
11. Preheat oven to 400°F.
12. Heat oil in largenonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
13. Place 2 hens in skillet. Sauté until brown,turning often with wooden spoons (toprevent tearing skin), about 10 minutes.
14. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet, breastside up. Repeat with remaining hens.Drape 2 bacon strip halves over breast ofeach hen. Using kitchen string, tie baconstrips in place. (
15. Place any ramekins ofstuffing on baking sheet with hens.)
16. Place hens (and extra stuffing) in oven.Roast hens until cooked through and juicesrun clear when thigh is pierced, about 45minutes. (Roast stuffing 30 minutes.)
17. Cutstrings off hens.
18. Transfer hens to plates.Spoon maque choux around hens and servewith extra stuffing.