Courtesy of Melanie's Fine Foods

Serves 10-12

INGREDIENTS:

12 Small Cornish Game Hens
Olive oil
Rich and Mild Barbeque Sauce

For the Stuffing:
1 cup dried apricots
6 slices white bread, or Italian peasant bread
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup Italian parsley loosely packed, chopped
2 Tablespoons chives or scallions, finely chopped
Hot water

DIRECTIONS:

(Stuffing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to stuff the birds. Do not stuff the birds until just before cooking)

Heat oven to 450 degrees, 2 large shallow-sided roasting pans.

Roughly chop the apricots, put in a small bowl with enough hot water to cover them. Soak for at least an hour, drain well, and reserve the soaking water.

Trim the crusts from the bread and cut into cubes. Mix all of the ingredients gently but well in small bowl, except the olive oil. When everything is mixed, dribble in the oil and mix well. Try not to break up the bread.

Make the glaze by combining 1 bottle of Rich and Mild Barbeque Sauce with the apricot soaking liquid. Set aside.

Wash the defrosted hens inside and out; remove any loose skin or meat and discard. Dry hens with paper towels, rub all over lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt. Stuff an equal amount of the apricot stuffing in each bird, do not over fill.

Arrange on roasting pans. Roast hens for 60 to 70 minutes.

Check for doneness: use a meat thermometer to check poultry by inserting it between the thigh and body. Hens are done when the internal temperature reaches 170+ degrees.

In the last 5-8 minutes of cooking, brush top of each hen with the Barbeque Sauce glaze.

Allow the birds to rest for 20 minutes before serving.