Dark Lord...

Sometimes I'm just lucky enough to look into my refrigerator and think, "what is that darn bottle," and then to pull it out and discover it is a half bottle of Dark Lord that my guests have left from the weekend.  Today I worked in the kitchen at Leopold.  I have a week off and when I have time I like to go into kitchens and stage or volunteer.  I get so use to my own home kitchen it's nice to be in an actual restaurant kitchen and working in spaces with others.  Before I left for Leopold this afternoon I put a Cornish hen in a spiced brine and pulled it when I got home.  I knew I had potatoes and carrots, but nothing really to make a sauce with, that was until I found the Dark Lord.  I stuffed the Cornish hen with marjoram, garlic, thyme, and sage, seasoned the outside and then browned it on all sides in canola oil.  I roughly chopped carrots and potatoes and threw those into the pan with a touch of salt and once they had a little brown added a healthy cup of dark lord to deglaze the pan and the juice of half a lemon.  I tossed it in the oven at 350 and after about 25 minutes turned the bird and baked it for another 20-25 minutes...I wasn't really watching the time however I did check it frequently and pulled it when I had an inner temp of 165 degrees F.  I pulled the bird from the pan and set it aside and then allowed the juices and Dark Lord reduce a touch until it looked like an unctuous demi.  I cut the bird in half and scooped the potatoes, carrots and sauce over the top and I devoured it before I could even take a picture for you.  It was amazing.  My niece ate the other half when she got home from work.  She loved it too.  I suppose it was that bit of Belgium cuisine today which got me thinking of such a hearty meal.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have Dark Lord floating around in their fridge.  You can substitute for a nice dark beer.