Glazed Cornish Hens with Pomegranate-Rice Stuffing
Christmas dinner at its finest includes making Glazed Cornish Hens with Pomegranate-Rice Stuffing. Elegant, but incredibly easy to make, and gorgeous, too.
4Cornish hensabout 1 ¼ pounds each, rinsed and dried
3cupslow-sodium chicken broth
1 ½cupswild rice blendI used a box of Uncle Bill’s Wild Rice blend without the seasoning package.
6tablespoonunsalted butter
1large shallotminced
1clovegarlicminced
¾teaspoonground ginger
¾teaspoonground cumin
½cuppomegranate seedsplus more for serving*
2tablespoonchopped fresh parsleyplus sprigs for serving
2tablespoonchopped fresh cilantroplus sprigs for serving
3large egg yolks
¾cupfresh orange juice
1tablespoonpomegranate molasses
Instructions
Mix the cinnamon, 4 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl; sprinkle all over the hens and inside the cavities.
Place the hens on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Bring the chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice blend and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and cumin and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat; add the cooked rice, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley and cilantro; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the egg yolks and stir to combine.
Make the glaze:
Bring the orange juice and pomegranate molasses to a boil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Stuff the Hens:
Fill the cavity of each hen with about ½ cup of the rice mixture (reserve the rest); tie the legs together with twine.
Roast 20 minutes, then brush with the pomegranate glaze.
Continue roasting, glazing every 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Rotate the hens halfway through cooking; if the skin gets too dark, cover loosely with foil.)
Spoon the reserved rice into a pie dish, sprinkle with water and cover with foil.
After the hens have roasted about 20 minutes, transfer the rice to the oven and cook until heated through, about 45 minutes. Keep an eye it because it goes for browning to dark brown in a matter of moments as evident by my pics.
Transfer the hens to a platter and add some parsley and cilantro sprigs and pomegranate seeds.
Notes
*I got enough seeds from one pomegranate to use for the rice and to serve. To remove the seeds, cut the pomegranate in half over a paper towel and in a bowl of cool water, rub your thumbs over the seeds to extract them, as seen in this video.