Cornish Hen With Bulgur Bacon Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• In 1-quart saucepan, cook bacon and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until bacon is cooked and onion is tender. Drain bacon and onion. In same saucepan, heat water and bouillon granules to boiling. Stir in bulgur; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Stir in bacon mixture, zucchini, mushrooms and thyme.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Fill body cavity of hen with stuffing. Fasten opening with skewer. Place hen, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Place meat thermometer in thigh muscle so tip does not touch bone. Brush with some of the butter.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining butter, until juice of hens is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F).
• Remove stuffing from body cavity. Cut hen in half along backbone from tail to neck with kitchen scissors. Serve each hen half with stuffing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Wrap a brick in aluminum foil and place into the oven to heat.
• Place the game hen breast side down on a cutting board. Using scissors or poultry shears, cut from the neck to the tailbone to remove the backbone. Once you remove the backbone you will be able to see the inside of the bird. Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breastbone to reveal the keel bone. Grab the bird with both hands on the ribs and open up like a book, facing down towards the cutting board. Remove the keel bone. Cut small slits in the skin of the bird behind the legs and tuck the drumsticks into them in order to hold them in place. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Fry the bacon in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once crisp, remove the bacon from the skillet and reserve. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Immediately add the two birds to the pan, skin side down. Add the onions to the pan around the edges. Top the birds with the brick and allow to remain on the heat for 5 minutes. Place the pan into the oven and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until the thigh meat reaches 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and allow the bird to rest for 5 minutes before serving with the onions and bacon.

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, toast the bulgur in a medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant and nutty, about 4 minutes. Stir in the bulgur, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bulgur to a medium bowl and fluff with a fork. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, chopped herbs, pine nuts, 2 teaspoons salt, scallions, and garlic and season with pepper, to taste. Cool slightly and add the egg and feta, and mix to combine. Set the stuffing aside.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the hens on a work surface. Starting from the neck of a hen, slip a couple fingers between the skin and breast, and loosen the skin. Take a large spoonful of the stuffing and slip the spoon between the skin and breast. With your free hand, hold the stuffing in place and gently pull the spoon out, leaving the stuffing behind. Press the skin down to evenly distribute the stuffing over the breast. Repeat until the hens are evenly stuffed. Cross the legs of the birds at the breastbone and tie them with a piece of kitchen twine.
• Arrange the hens breast-side up on a baking sheet. Brush all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Roast the birds until well browned and crispy, and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted into the thigh, about 40 minutes.
• To serve, split the hens in half lengthwise. Pour the coulis onto a platter and arrange the hens on top. Garnish with the herb sprigs and serve.
• Put the tomatoes over 2 gas burners on high and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and peeling. Alternatively, broil the tomatoes until charred. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to steam for 5 minutes. Peel and seed the tomatoes.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a blender with the vinegar and garlic and puree until smooth. While the motor is running, drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season with pepper, to taste.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season inside and out of cornish hens. In a bowl combine mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff vegetables into cavity of each bird to full capacity. Drizzle hens with remaining oil. Criss-cross 2 bacon slices across each hen, tucking ends under birds to keep in place. Place hens on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour chicken stock in bottom of pan. Roast hens 45 minutes to 1 hour or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees. Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes while you finish sauce. Bring sauce to a boil in roasting pan, scraping bottom of pan to incorporate any drippings; season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle hens with sauce.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season inside and out of cornish hens. In a bowl combine mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff vegetables into cavity of each bird to full capacity. Drizzle hens with remaining oil. Criss-cross 2 bacon slices across each hen, tucking ends under birds to keep in place. Place hens on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour chicken stock in bottom of pan. Roast hens 45 minutes to 1 hour or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees. Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes while you finish sauce. Bring sauce to a boil in roasting pan, scraping bottom of pan to incorporate any drippings; season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle hens with sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Sprinkle the hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Blend the bulgur and parsley in a mixing bowl.
• Stuff each game hen with an equal portion of the bulgur mixture. Truss the hens.
• Place a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Arrange the hens breast side up on the rack. To prepare a basting sauce, blend the remaining ingredients, salt and pepper.
• Brush the hens with the basting sauce. Place in the oven and roast one hour, basting often with the sauce. Remove the trussing string and serve.

Steps:

• 1. Prepare Bulgur-Bacon Stuffing. Heat oven to 350°. 2. Fill body cavity of hen with stuffing. Fasten opening with skewer. Place hen, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Place meat thermometer in thigh muscle so tip does not touch bone. Brush hen with some of the butter.3. Bake uncovered 1 to 1 1/4 hours, brushing occasionally with remaining butter, until thermometer reads 180° and juices are no longer pink when center of thigh is cut.4. Remove stuffing from body cavity. Cut hen in half along backbone from tail to neck with kitchen scissors. Serve each hen half with stuffing.Bulgar-Bacon Stuffing:Cook bacon and onion in 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until bacon is cooked and onion is tender. Drain bacon and onion. Heat water and bouillon granules to boiling in same saucepan. Stir in bulgur remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Sir in bacon mixture, zucchini, mushrooms, cranberries and thyme.table for 2For Thanksgiving, if the two of you are planning to celebrate this favorite holiday together, Cornish hen is perfect in place of a big bird that will have you eating leftovers for weeks. Here are some delicious side dish and dessert suggestions to round out your holiday menu:Buttercup Squash with Apples (see On the Sidelines chapter)Asparagus Parmesan (see On the Sidelines chapter)Orange-Pecan Muffins (see On the Sidelines chapter)Fruit Trifle (see Sweet Endings chapter)1 Serving: Calories 590 (Calories from Fat 360) Fat 40g (Saturated 13g) Cholesterol 255mg Sodium 840mg Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 3g) Protein 45g % Daily Value: Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 4% Calcium 4% Iron 12% Diet Exchanges: 5 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat, 3 VegetableFrom "Betty Crocker's Cooking for Two." Text Copyright 2005 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.