Cornish hens take less time to bake than a large whole chicken—
plus, there is no carving necessary. To serve, cut each hen in half and
arrange over mounds of the moist rice-based stuffing.
HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes
TOTAL TIME
2¼ hours
MAKES
8 servings
INGREDIENTS
RICE STUFFING:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 leeks (white parts only), sliced
- 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups long-grain rice
- 2½ cups sodium-reduced chicken broth
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
ROASTED CORNISH HENS:
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ tsp grated lemon zest
- 4 Cornish hens (about 2.7 kg total)
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch pepper
PREPARATION
RICE STUFFING:
- In saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat
- Cook leeks, celery and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes
- Add rice, stirring to coat
- Add broth, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and pepper; bring to boil
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 18 minutes
- Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes
- (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours, adding 10 minutes to cooking time for baking dish)
ROASTED CORNISH HENS:
- Stir butter with lemon zest; set aside
- Remove giblets and neck (if any) from hens
- Trim ends of wings; trim off excess fat and skin
- Fill each cavity with about ½ cup of the stuffing
- Brush hens with butter mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Place remaining stuffing in greased 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish; cover with foil
- Place hens, breast side up, on greased rack in shallow roasting pan
- Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 45 minutes, basting occasionally
- Add stuffing to oven; bake, uncovering halfway through, until stuffing is hot and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 185°F (85°C), about 30 minutes
- Transfer hens to cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes before cutting in half.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER SERVING: about 613 cal, 40 g pro, 35 g total fat (12 g
sat. fat), 32 g carb, 1 g fibre, 225 mg chol, 505 mg sodium, 583 mg potassium.
% RDI: 5% calcium, 17% iron, 10% vit A, 7% vit C, 9% folate.
