Description
This recipe features succulent Cornish hens stuffed with a flavorful apple-cranberry rice stuffing, glazed with a sweet and tangy apple cider-maple syrup sauce, and roasted to golden perfection. Ideal for an elegant yet approachable main course, this dish combines fresh herbs, nuts, and fruit to create a delicious medley of textures and tastes.
Ingredients
Scale
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice (long grain and wild, or “Royal/Wild Blend”)
- ½ cup peeled, diced Fuji apples (¼-inch dice, about ½ large apple)
- ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Splash of apple cider
Glaze
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pinch ground cinnamon
Hens
- 4 Cornish hens (1.25 to 1.5 pounds each)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Stuffing: Melt butter in a skillet until the foaming subsides. Add chopped onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pecans, fresh sage, thyme, and season with ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for an additional 3 minutes until pecans are fragrant. Deglaze the pan with a splash of apple cider, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Remove from heat and mix in cooked rice, diced apples, dried cranberries, and parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a pot, combine apple cider and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the mixture becomes syrupy and reduces to about ⅓ to ½ cup, approximately 15 minutes. Whisk in Dijon mustard and cinnamon until smooth, then set aside.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Hens: Remove Cornish hens from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before roasting. Remove giblets, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Place a roasting rack inside a foil-lined roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray.
- Stuff and Season Hens: Lightly season the cavities of the hens with kosher salt and black pepper. Loosely fill each cavity with about ½ cup of the prepared stuffing. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the birds to ensure even cooking. Arrange hens on the rack with space between them for proper air circulation.
- Roast the Hens: Brush the tops and sides of each hen with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Continue roasting for an additional 40 to 50 minutes. During the final 30 minutes of roasting, glaze the hens by brushing them with the prepared apple-cider glaze every 10 minutes. If the hens begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Check Doneness and Rest: The hens are done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F (82°C) and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let the hens rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute for optimal moistness.
Notes
- Cook the rice according to package directions until tender. For extra flavor, use chicken broth instead of water.
- Roasting the hens on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet allows for better air circulation and promotes a deeply golden color on all sides.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried sage and thyme can be used at about one-third the quantity, but fresh is preferred for the best flavor.
- The glaze can be prepared ahead of time and gently reheated before applying.
- Ensure the stuffing is loosely packed in the hens to allow for even cooking and thorough heat penetration.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cornish hen with stuffing (about 375g)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
