Rice-Stuffed Cornish Hens

Taste of Home



My mom prepares this impressive-looking entree for the holidays and for

other "company's coming" occasions. The savory rice stuffing goes

wonderfully with the moist golden hens and sweet apricot glaze. She is

often asked for the recipe. -Becky Brunette, Minneapolis, Minnesota



SERVINGS: 6

CATEGORY: Main Dish

METHOD: Baked

TIME: Prep: 45 min. Bake: 1 hour 5 min.



Ingredients:

5-1/2 cups water, divided

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup uncooked wild rice

1-1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1-1/2 cups chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped onion

6 Cornish game hens (20 ounces each)

1 jar (12 ounces) apricot preserves



Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring 5 cups water, bouillon and salt to a boil.

Add wild rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add long

grain rice; cover and simmer 25-30 minutes longer or until rice is

tender and water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, celery and onion

over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender;

drain. Stir in rice mixture. Spoon about 3/4 cup stuffing into each hen.

Place remaining stuffing in a greased 2-qt. baking dish; cover and

set aside. Place hens breast side up on a rack in shallow baking pan;

tie drumsticks together. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes.

In a small saucepan, bring preserves and remaining water to a boil.

Pour over hens. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer

reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing, basting occasionally.

Place baking dish of stuffing in the oven for the last 35-40 minutes of

hens' baking time. Yield: 6 servings.

Cranberry-Glazed Cornish Hens with Wild Rice

4 Rock Cornish Game Hens, thawed
1 box long grained rice, wild rice or combo (3-4 cups cooked)
½ cup celery
1/3 cup unsalted slivered almonds
1 jar Coo's Bay Cranberry Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. prepare rice according to package
directions. Stir in celery, almonds and 1.2 of cranberry sauce,
cool. Spoon ¾ cup rice mixture into cavity of each hen.
Tie drumsticks together with string and place on a rack in a
roasting pan. Brush each hen with oil.

Roast hens 35 to 45 minutes, basting with oil occasionally,
until internal juices of chicken run clear.
If you use a thermometer it should read 180 degree's.
Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat remaining cranberry sauce
until melted. Remove hens from oven, remove and discard
string. Spoon cranberry sauce over hens before serving.

Cornish Game Hens with Sweet Potato Risotto
===========================================
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup ruby Port
2 Cornish game hens, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 pound yams, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2/3 cup arborio rice or medium-grain rice
1/4 cup dry Riesling wine
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Bring first 4 ingredients to simmer in heavy medium saucepan
over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Boil until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently,
about 20 minutes. Puree sauce in processor.
Strain into small bowl.

Preheat oven to 400F. Place game hens, cut side down, on small
baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 450F. Continue baking until juices
run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced,
about 20 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high
heat.
Add yams, onion and ginger; saute until yams are tender, about
15 minutes. Remove from heat. Cook rice in small saucepan of
boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite,
stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Drain rice. Add rice to
yam mixture in skillet. Add Riesling and stir over low heat to
blend. Add mascarpone and stir to melt. Season with salt and
pepper.

Rewarm sauce. Spoon risotto onto plates. Top with hen. Sprinkle
with nuts, parsley and orange peel. Drizzle sauce around
risotto.

Honey-Poppy Seed Cornish Hens

Prep: 15 min; Bake: 1 hr 10 min

Makes 4 servings



2 Rock Cornish hens (24 ounces each)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon poppy seed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard (dry)

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger



1. Heat oven 350 degrees. Spray rack of shallow roast-

ing pan with nonstick cooking spray



2. Cut each hen in half along backbone and breast-

bone from tail to neck with kitchen scissors. Place skin

sides down on rack in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt

and pepper. Mix remaining ingredients; brush over

both sides of hens. Insert meat thermometer so tip is

in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not

touch bone



3. Roast uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes,

turning once, until thermometer reads 180 degrees

and juice of hens is no longer pink when center of

thigh is cut

Cornish Game Hens



3 ea Cornish Game Hens [1 3/4 lb ea]

6 Fresh rosemary sprigs

2 tb Butter, melted

2 tb Lemon juice

1 pn Salt

1 pn Pepper



Stuffing:

1 c Wild rice

3 c water

1 tb Butter

2 c Mushrooms, halved

1 Onion, chopped

1 1/2 ts Dried savory

1/2 ts Salt

1/2 ts Pepper



For Stuffing:

Rinse rice. In saucepan, bring water to a boil; stir

in rice. Return to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer

for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain; place in bowl.



In skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; cook

mushrooms, onion, and savory for 3 minutes. Stir into

rice along with salt and pepper; let cool.



Rinse hens; pat dry. Stuff cavities; tie wings and

legs with string. Place on rack in roasting pan,

leaving 2 inches between each. Tuck half of a rosemary

sprig under each leg and wing. Stir butter with lemon

juice; brush half over hens.



Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in 375 degrees

F. oven, basting with remaining butter mixture, for

1-1/2 hours or until juices run clear when hens are

pierced.



Remove trussing; cut in half along backbone. Serve,

stuffing side down.