Stuff the bird. Poach two whole livers till firm but not cooked through, rinse in cold water, slice thin, soak in brandy, sprinkle with truffle zest. Do not use truffle oil, it is mostly fake and overpowering. Alternate slice of liver with slice of mushroom. Stuff in cavity, close cavity with toothpick.

Poach stuffed bird in beefstock, breast down. Bring four cups of water to boil with two beef bouillion cubes and a cheesecloth bag with 10 peppercorns, 10 juniperberries or 5 crushed pine nuts, tsp sage. Immerse bird, poach 15 minutes, remove, rest on baking sheet in warm oven, 250F degrees, breast up.

Make jellied sauce from the stock to brush on the bird: reduce the stock by boiling down to one cup of broth, remove cheesecloth bag, add Tbs corn starch or water chest nut flour dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water, stir till jellied, cool. Brush jellied stock on warm bird.

Make the dough. Melt a stick of butter. With your fingers, Mix cup of all-purpose flour in glass bowl with 2 Tbs melted butter and 2 Tbs lemon juice, 1Tbs brandy, make firm ball. Flour cutting board, roll dough out till 8” wide and 16” long, brush with melted butter,dust with flour, fold, roll out again, brush again, dust again,fold again. Lay bird on one end of the dough, wrap dough around bird, pinch closed. Brush outside of dough with melted butter.

Bake at 450F degrees. Put cornish hen on foil in baking tray in cold center oven, breast up. Turn oven on, bring to temperature, then bake a few more minutes, total baking time on high heat is 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350F degrees, bake another few minutes if you want a darker crust. Serve on heated plates with baked apple slices and a california Pinot Noir wine. Enjoy.

Hint: leftover bones are too sharp for the dog to chew on, we put them in the Garden Outhouse Doggy Privy, which we call the garden fermenter, where they dissolve safely from rats and predators.