Pajaro De Pedro

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 cornish hens
• 1/2 cup lard or 1/2 cup canola oil
• 8 slices cuban bread or 8 slices french bread
• 40 almonds, blanched and peeled
• 8 onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup dry red wine

Recipe

• 1 combine the orange juice, lime juice, salt and pepper in a container (or zip lock bag) capable of marinating. add the birds, distribute the marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 2 in a large dutch oven, melt the lard or oil over medium heat.
• 3 remove the birds from the marinade and dry them. discard the marinade. brown each of the birds in the dutch oven and then set them aside.
• 4 fry the bread slices in the dutch oven until browned on both sides and set them aside on paper towels. using a mortar and pestle or food processor, mash the bread and the almonds into a paste and set aside.
• 5 saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. return the birds to the dutch oven. add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.stir in the tomato sauce, broth and wine. cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, until the birds are tender.
• 6 transfer the cooked birds to a serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm.
• 7 stir the bread mixture into the pan juices and cook over low heat. when the sauce has thickened, spoon it over and around the birds.
• 8 serve and enjoy.