cornish hens with cranberry cornbread-brown rice dressing

You’ll have time to make the dressing using already cooked brown rice and baked cornbread after you put the hens into the oven. Should you want a vegetable dish, make it ahead and warm it up just before serving. Easy options in Cook’s Notes. Another idea is to roast vegetables right in the roasting pan surrounding the Cornish hens. Simple directions for a pan sauce or jus are included if you like. Serves 2

Ingredients

For the hens:

Olive oil
2 medium yellow onions-peeled and sliced (or other vegetables as desired)
2 completely thawed Cornish hens-patted dry with paper towels (thaw 1-2 days in fridge or in cold water, changed every 30 minutes, for 4 hours)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper mixed together
1 lemon, scrubbed and cut in half
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

For the dressing:

8 tablespoons 1/4 pound salted butter
1 cup EACH diced yellow onion and celery
½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper – or to taste
Pinch ground cayenne
½ teaspoon EACH rubbed sage and ground thyme – or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground fennel- optional
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
3 cups crumbled baked cornbread
2 cups cooked brown rice-can sub white rice, more cornbread or white bread, cubed
1/3 cup dried cranberries (can sub raisins)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or more as needed

For the Pan Sauce (Jus)

1 cup dry white wine (can sub broth)
1 tablespoon salted butter
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper if needed – to taste

Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and arrange rack at center.
ROAST THE HENS: Drizzle roasting pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and arrange onions in a single layer at the center. Place Cornish hens on the onions and brush them all over with about a tablespoon of oil each. Sprinkle each bird evenly with the mixed salt and pepper inside and out. Add a half lemon to the cavities of the hens. Tuck wings under the bodies and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Pour the two cups of broth into the roasting pan around the birds. Roast for 70-80 minutes OR until instant read thermometer inserted in the thigh (not touching bone) reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit or until juices run clear if you slice between the breast and thigh. (Cornish hens vary in size, so time is flexible.) Meanwhile, make the dressing and add it to the oven after 30-40 minutes.
MAKE DRESSING: Butter a 2-quart casserole and set aside. In a large deep skillet or in a 6-quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions and celery. Season with the salt, pepper, cayenne, sage, thyme, fennel, if using, and parsley. Stir and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Turn off burner. Add the baked crumbled cornbread and cooked brown rice; mix well. Add the cranberries and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour the beaten egg and broth evenly over the cornbread mixture and mix for two minutes or so or until everything is moist but not drippy, adding a little more broth as needed. Bake in the oven with the Cornish hens for 35-45 minutes or until crispy and hot.
REST HENS, MAKE PAN SAUCE (JUS), AND SERVE HOT: When Cornish hens and dressing are done, remove the hens to a carving board and tent with foil. Cover the casserole with dressing with foil to keep warm. Place the roasting pan on a burner, pour the cup of white wine into the pan with the roasted onions and heat over medium flame. The broth you added earlier to the roasting pan may have cooked away, but its flavor remains. Simmer, stirring up any brown bits, for a few minutes until wine has lost its edge or rawness and then stir in the tablespoon of butter. Let butter melt for a minute, stir the sauce, and taste, adjusting for seasonings as needed. You may not need any salt at all. Carefully pour the sauce into small bowl with a ladle or in a pitcher.
Add a hen to each plate, spoon dressing to the side, and drizzle with pan sauce (jus).

Notes

Two easy vegetables, as shown in the photo on the post, are Sauteéd Spinach with Mushrooms and Honey Carrots.

For the spinach, in a large, deep skillet sauté half a small sliced red onion, ½ cup sliced button mushrooms, and two tablespoons raisins in a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil until tender – about 10 minutes. Season with a ¼ teaspoon each of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. You can then let the mushroom mixture rest for up to an hour until you’re a few minutes away from serving dinner. At that point, reheat and stir in 6 ounces baby spinach, letting cook and stirring until it just begins to wilt. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve hot or warm.

For the carrots, bring a 3-quart saucepan half full of salted and peppered water to a boil. Add 6 medium carrots- peeled, trimmed, and sliced into 1/4-inch coins. Reduce heat a bit and simmer until tender, 4-6 minutes. Strain well and return to pot, adding a tablespoon or so of butter and two teaspoons of honey. Stir, then taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with minced fresh chives or parsley or just a little additional black pepper and serve hot or warm. Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2020. All rights reserved.