Cornish hen stuffed with aromatic and flavorful Moroccan-inspired quinoa is an elegant main dish to serve at your next dinner party.
Course
Entree, Gluten-Free, Kosher, Main Dish, Poultry
Cuisine
Moroccan
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time55minutes
Total Time1hour15minutes
Servings8
AuthorJessica Levinson
Ingredients
For the Quinoa:
1cupdry quinoarinsed and drained
2cupslow-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2cupslivered almonds
1tablespoonolive oil
1cupdiced yellow onion
1cupsliced fennel~1/2 inch slices
1tablespoonminced garlic
1/2teaspoonground turmeric
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonsherry vinegar
1/2cupdried apricotschopped
1/2cupdried plumschopped
1tablespoonhoney
1tablespoonlemon juice
1/4teaspoonKosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
For the Cornish Hens:
4Cornish hens
2tablespoonsolive oil
1teaspoonpaprika
2tablespoonslemon juice
1tablespoonhoney + 1 teaspoon for sauce
Fresh-ground black pepper
1/4cupdry white wineor broth
Instructions
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
While the quinoa is cooking, toast almonds in a dry skillet, 3-4 minutes; set aside.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, add onions and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.* Add fennel and saute 3-4 minutes until caramelizing and golden brown. Add garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Transfer mixture to the bowl with the quinoa and stir to combine. Add the toasted almonds, dried fruit, honey, lemon juice, Kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Fold all the ingredients together.
Fill the cavities of the hens with the quinoa mixture. (Set aside any remaining stuffing to serve on the side.) Twist the wings of the hens behind their backs, and tie the legs together if necessary to prevent quinoa from spilling out. Place hens breast-side up in a roasting pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon honey. Coat the hens with the mixture, drizzle with remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Pour wine around the hens.
Roast the hens for 35-40 minutes, occasionally basting with pan drippings.
When the hens are done, transfer them to a plate and let rest for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pan drippings to a small pot, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Add 1 teaspoon honey and if there are not a lot of drippings, add a few tablespoons water and/or wine. Simmer on low heat about 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cut the hens in half and serve with the stuffing and pan juices.
Recipe Notes
*Since pan is already hot from toasting the almonds, the onions won't take as long to cook. If you omit the almonds from the recipe the onions will need about 5 minutes cooking time.