Game Hens With Sumac Pomegranate And Cardamom Rice Food

GAME HENS WITH SUMAC, POMEGRANATE AND CARDAMOM RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season birds inside and out with salt, then tie legs together with butcher twine. In a small bowl, mix together the sumac, cinnamon and black pepper. Sprinkle spice mix evenly over exterior of birds and put a pinch in the cavities, too.
• Place seasoned birds in a roasting pan just big enough to fit and drizzle all over with pomegranate molasses. Turn birds breast-side down and add water to pan to a depth of ½ inch. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and turn birds breast-side up. Continue cooking for another 20 to 25 minutes, using a brush to baste birds with pan juices frequently, until well browned. Juices in thigh should run clear when pierced with a paring knife.
• Meanwhile, make the rice: Put rinsed basmati rice in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add cardamom, cloves, butter, currants, raisins, 2 1/2 cups water (or broth) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then put on lid and turn heat to very low. Cook rice for 15 minutes, then turn off heat. Leave covered for 10 minutes.
• To serve, fluff rice and mound on a large warmed platter. Surround rice with finished birds and give birds a last dab of the pan juices. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and pine nuts over everything and garnish with mint. Serve the pleasantly tart pan juices separately.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Tie each hen's legs together with butcher's twine or a blanched scallion green.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Season the hens on both sides generously with salt. Carefully lay the hens in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin becomes brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the hens over and brown on the flesh side. Do not crowd your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Remove the hens to a sheet tray.
• Meanwhile, combine the molasses and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the molasses to a boil and reduce by half until syrupy, about 20 minutes.
• Brush the hens on both sides with the reduced molasses. Put the hens in the oven and roast until they are cooked through, basting occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the hens from the oven and garnish with the sliced scallions.

GLAZED CORNISH HENS WITH POMEGRANATE-RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Mix the cinnamon, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 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. Meanwhile, soak the grape leaves in water 1 hour.
• 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.
• Fill the cavity of each hen with about 1/2 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.)
• Meanwhile, drain the grape leaves and pat dry. Use some of the leaves to line a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the reserved rice mixture and drizzle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover with the remaining grape leaves, shiny side up, then cover with foil. (If you aren't using grape leaves, spoon the 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.
• Transfer the hens to a platter and add some parsley and cilantro sprigs and pomegranate seeds. Peel the grape leaves off the top of the rice and serve alongside the hens.

GRILLED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH LEMON, SUMAC, AND DATE RELISH

Steps:

• Combine 9 cups water, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and coarse salt in large nonreactive pot. Stir until salt dissolves. Add hen halves and press to submerge. Refrigerate hens in brine, weighing down with heavy plate if needed, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
• Whisk 1/2 cup lemon juice, oil, and sumac in medium bowl. Press in garlic cloves; season with pepper. Let dressing stand 15 minutes to thicken slightly, whisking occasionally.
• Drain hens. Pat dry with paper towels; arrange on large rimmed baking sheet. Using fingertips, loosen skin of breast meat on each hen half. Brush some dressing under skin onto breast meat of each hen; place lemon slice onto breast meat and pull skin over to cover. Brush hens all over with remaining dressing. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place hens, skin side up, on grill rack. Cover and grill until bottom sides are brown, about 8 minutes. Turn hens over; grill uncovered until skin sides brown, about 6 minutes. Continue to grill until hens are cooked through, turning occasionally, about 9 minutes longer. Transfer hens to platter. Serve with Date Relish.
• *Ground, dried, reddish-purple berries that grow wild throughout the Middle East; available at specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets.

POMEGRANATE-GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH WILD RICE-CHESTNUT STUFFING AND YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a 2-quart saucepan, combine rice, 3 cups cold water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with rack in center of the oven. Transfer rice to a large bowl, along with chestnuts, onion, thyme, sage, parsley, and dill; stir to combine. Lightly season the cavity of each game hen with salt, and loosely fill with equal amounts of stuffing, leaving a little space in each for the rice to expand during roasting. Any remaining stuffing may be baked in a covered heatproof dish; set aside.
• Using kitchen twine, truss hens by tying the legs together tightly, looping each side of the string around a wing, and bringing the string all the way around the bird tightly to hold the legs together and the wings close to the body.
• Season hens with salt and pepper, and place breast side down on a rack set in a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes, and baste with pomegranate juice. Continue basting with remaining pomegranate juice every 15 to 20 minutes. During the last 25 minutes of roasting, place the reserved stuffing into the oven to heat. When 10 minutes remain, flip the hens over and continue roasting until the hens are dark golden brown and the juices run clear when pierced at the thigh. Total cooking time for hens will be 50 to 55 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, should register 175 degrees to 180 degrees.
• Remove hens and stuffing from the oven. Transfer hens to a platter. Cover with foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Place roasting pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the roasting pan. Add wine, if using. Sift flour into the roasting pan, and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups stock. Cook until mixture has thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. The consistency of the gravy may be adjusted with a teaspoon or two of stock or wine. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, and olive oil. Gently stir in the mint and pomegranate seeds. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a hen on each of 4 plates. Spoon gravy over hens and garnish with parsley, feta cheese, additional stuffing, and yogurt sauce.

DEBONED AND STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse and cook wild rice to package instructions; set aside.
• Spread cubed cornbread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring after 2 minutes; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms; cook for 3 more minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and cooked rice; cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Stir in broth.
• Add pecans and toasted bread cubes; toss lightly.
• Stuff deboned Cornish Game Hens with stuffing.
• Truss deboned Cornish Game Hens with toothpicks and long skewers.
• Roast Cornish Game Hens in oven for 1 hour or until done.
• Making the sauce -- Whisk the stock and pomegranate juice into the roux to get a smooth mix and add the mushrooms.
• Bring the sauce to a low simmering boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• Strain to remove the mushrooms, add nutmeg, season to taste and serve over the game hens.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Finely grind first 7 ingredients in spice grinder or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Whisk in orange juice, oil and garlic. (Spice mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Rub spice mixture all over hens; place hens in large roasting pan. Sprinkle hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together to hold shape. Arrange carrots in pan around hens. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes. Add stock to roasting pan. Roast hens until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced and carrots are tender, basting hens occasionally with pan juices, about 35 minutes longer. Place 1 hen on each of 4 plates. Arrange carrots alongside. Spoon warm Orange-Honey Sauce over and serve.

ROASTED GAME HEN WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with racks in top and bottom. Place hen, breast-side down, on a work surface. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of backbone to remove. Flip over; split lengthwise with a heavy knife. Pat dry; season with salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer sheet to bottom rack of oven.
• In an ovenproof skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high. Add hen, skin-side down; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip; transfer skillet to top rack of oven. Roast, stirring vegetables once, until golden, and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of hen thigh reads 165 degrees, 18 to 20 minutes for hen, and 25 to 28 minutes for vegetables. Transfer hen and vegetables to a platter. Return skillet to medium heat; whisk in mustard, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, and capers. Cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in tarragon; spoon over vegetables. Serve, with more mustard.

POMEGRANATE GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 deress Season game hens with salt,pepper and thyme cook on rack for 1 hr.
• or until done.
• Brush pomegranate glaze on hens.
• Roast another 5 mins.
• Sprinkle with fresh pomegranat arils.
• Serve wigth remaining glaze as a sauce.
• Pomegranate Glaze To juice pomegranate slice in half crosswise and use a citrus juicer.
• In stainless stell sauce pan simmer juice with a pinch of salt until reduced to a syrupy glaze about 10 Mins.