As luck would have it, I was in an all-male version of "The Mikado" at Oxford. People still ask to see my Yum-Yum!

Ingredients

• Cornish Game Hens
• 3-4 Tbsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 carrot
• Onions
• 1 stalk of celery
• Sprigs of thyme
• Sprigs of rosemary
• Fresh parsley
• Clove of garlic
• Water
• Honey
• Pomegranate Juice
• Wild Rice
• Cloves
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Cardamom
• Currants
• Raisins (Regular or Golden)
• Ground Pepper

Method: Cornish Game Hens

1. Butterflying the Cornish Game Hens: Remove their backbones and cut them in half. Reserve the backbones for later to make the sauce.
2. Lightly season the underside of the Hen with Kosher Salt.
3. Combine 3 or 4 Tbsp of Kosher Salt w/ a tsp of baking powder which will lower the temp at which the hens get a brown skin. Rub this butter mixture on the other side of the chicken.
4. Refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours or overnight.
5. Make the Cornish game hen stock: Combine a carrot, half an onion, a stalk of celery, fresh herbs like a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, fresh parsley, and a clove of garlic in a bowl. Cut up the spines into manageable pieces and brown them in a stock pot before adding all additional aromatics.
6. Add cold water and bring to a bare simmer and let cook for a solid 2-3 hours until a very flavorful stock forms. Strain into a separate container. 

7. Spray down the hens with nonstick spray on both sides.

8. Preheat oven to 500° Fahrenheit with an aluminum sheet pan inside it. Once preheated, place the birds skin side down on the pan. This will help the skin get crispy.

9. Bake for 10 minutes.

10. Flip the hens and place them under the broiler for 5-8 minutes or until the hens register a temperature of 160° Fahrenheit in the breast.

Pomegranate Honey Sauce

1. Mix two parts Cornish game hen stock with 1 part Pomegranate juice and a drizzle of honey.
2. Let simmer on the stove until it is thick and syrupy.
3. Put it to the side and warm it up once ready to serve.

Wild Rice Stuffing

1. Combine a cup of uncooked wild rice with 2 to 2 ¼ quarts of Cornish game hen stock and cook via your favorite method.
2. In a pan, sweat 1 small onion and a couple cloves of minced garlic for a few minutes or until translucent.
3. Add 1 lb. of ground lamb and brown it. Make sure that it is mostly cooked through and that you get some nice crispy brown bits.
4. Combine the cooked wild rice with the ground lamb, onion, and minced garlic.
5. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, ground allspice, cardamom, a little kosher salt, a good handful of currants, regular raisins (or golden raisins used in video for a color difference), a squeeze of lemon, and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. This seasoning takes the stuffing to the next level.

Ingredients

• Sushi Grade Yellow Tail
• Scallions
• Radishes
• Jalapenos
• 1 lemon
• 1 Blood Orange
• ½ cup of olive oil
• Chives

Method: Carpaccio

1. Thinly slice scallions, radishes, jalapenos, a lemon and a blood orange.
2. Thinly cut sushi grade Yellow Tail (make sure it is actually sushi graded since you will be eating this raw) while decoratively layering the scallions, radishes, jalapenos, blood orange on top.
3. Generously drizzle everything with the Blood Orange Vinaigrette.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

1. Squeeze a half-cut blood orange and mix with a half cup of olive oil (50/50).
2. Chopped chives for a little oniony flavor, and a little squeeze of lemon while whisking with a fork until thick.