Fricassee of Game Hen with Creamy Leeks and Vadoum

Ingredients

• 0.1 teaspoon peppercorns black
• 1 medium carrots finely chopped
• 1 rib celery finely chopped
• 3  cornish game hens with kitchen shears quartered
• 0.5 cup cooking wine dry white
• 2  garlic cloves crushed
• 0.7 cup heavy cream 
• 3 pounds leeks for stock
• 3 large thyme sprigs 
• 1  turkish or 
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 6 cups water cold
• 0.3 cup vadouvan 
• 0.3 cup vadouvan 

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• baking paper
• pot
• sieve

Directions

1. Heat oil in a heavy medium pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook backbones and wing tips until well browned on all sides.
2. Add water and bring to a boil, skimming froth occasionally.
3. Add remaining ingredients and boil, uncovered, 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Boil stock until reduced to about 2 cups.
4. Pat hens dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
5. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown hens in batches (without crowding), turning once, about 8 minutes per batch.
6. Transfer to a plate.
7. Halve white and pale green parts of leeks lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch pieces and wash.
8. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook leeks with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and scraping up brown bits, until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
9. Add wine and bring to a boil. Stir in stock, cream, and vadouvan. Nestle hens, skin sides up, into leeks. Cover with a round of parchment paper. Gently simmer 10 minutes.
10. Remove parchment and simmer until hens are cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
11. Transfer hens to a platter and simmer sauce to thicken slightly if desired.
12. Fricassee can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat gently.