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brown rice kosher salt mixed unsalted nuts raisins chicken stock parsley thyme rosemary freshly ground pepper Cornish hens unsalted butter
Viewed: 16 - Published at: 7 years agoIngredients
- 2 2/3 cups converted brown rice (about 18 ounces)
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups mixed unsalted nuts, such as walnuts, pine nuts and unskinned hazelnuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- Freshly ground pepper
- Eight 1-pound Cornish hens, rinsed well and patted dry
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
Method
- In a medium saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
- Stir in the rice and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but still slightly firm, about 25 minutes.
- Drain the rice and transfer to a large bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Transfer to a large plate to cool.
- If using hazelnuts, rub them vigorously in a kitchen towel to remove the skins.
- Coarsely chop large nuts, such as hazelnuts and walnuts.
- Add the toasted nuts to the rice along with the raisins, 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, the parsley, thyme and rosemary.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 475.
- Stuff each hen with 1 cup of the rice and tie the legs together with cotton kitchen string; wrap the remaining rice in foil and set aside.
- Set the hens on racks in 2 large roasting pans, brush them with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 10 minutes.
- Switch the pans, baste the hens with 1/2 cup of the stock and roast for 10 minutes longer.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350, baste the hens with another 1/2 cup of the stock and roast for about 25 minutes, until the birds are pale brown; baste occasionally.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400.
- Switch the pans and baste the hens with the remaining 1 cup stock.
- Roast for about 30 more minutes, basting a few times, until the hens are richly browned and the temperature of the inner thighs registers 180 on an instant-read thermometer.
- Add water to the pans if the liquid evaporates during cooking.
- During the last 25 minutes of cooking, add the reserved stuffing to the oven and cook until heated through.
- Transfer the hens to a large platter and cover loosely with foil.
- Spoon the reserved stuffing into a bowl and keep warm.
- Set each roasting pan over 2 burners over moderately high heat and add 1 cup of water to each.
- Boil the liquid, scraping up the browned bits, until flavorful, about 4 minutes.
- Strain the pan juices into a narrow measuring cup or bowl and skim the fat from the surface.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the pan juices into a gravy boat.
- Cut the strings from the hens and serve, passing the pan juices and extra stuffing at the table.
