Sure, flowers are nice. And big-ticket gifts like diamonds or flat-screen TVs aren’t bad, either. But if you want to show your true love just how much you care, then nothing beats a home-cooked meal.
“The best Valentine’s gift, in my opinion, is a great meal made with love,” says Eagle’s Trace Chef de Cuisine Wayne Webb.
For the big day, Webb suggests roasted game hens stuffed with rice and apricots. “This recipe is great because it’s just the right balance between being fancy enough to impress but easy enough to make without too much fuss,” Webb says.
And he warns not to get too hung up with the details: “Remember, Valentine’s Day is about spending time with your special person. Don’t spend all day in the kitchen.”
Eagle’s Trace Chef de Cuisine Wayne Webb began his formal training with Jean Jacque Metrailer at the Tarrytown Hilton and has worked in four-star restaurants in New York City. His favorite type of cuisine is Asian food, and he enjoys spending his free time outdoors.
Roasted game hens stuffed with rice and apricots
Ingredients
3 cups chicken broth
1 yellow onion, diced
Large celery stalk, diced
1 Tbsp garlic
1 ¼ cup long-grain rice
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 whole Cornish hens
¼ tsp black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
In medium saucepan sauté onions and celery until translucent, then add the garlic and continue cooking for one minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Then add the rice, apricots, and thyme. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice and set aside. Rub the hens with the remaining lemon juice and pepper; stuff the body cavities with rice and apricot mixture. Place in roasting pan and cook in oven until the internal temperature reaches 165°.