Moroccan Style Cornish Hens With Couscous Recipes

MOROCCAN-STYLE CORNISH HENS WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Mix 3 tablespoons of the oil with the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub inside surfaces of hens with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, then smear them, inside and out, with the spice paste. Set aside 1 hour.
• Sauté onions in remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Stir in raisins and remaining cumin and cook until onions are lightly browned. Fold in cooked couscous and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat grill or heat oven to 375 degrees. If grilling, sear hens on the skin side over medium heat, then turn them over, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. If using oven, roast hen halves skin side up in a roasting pan until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice.
• Reheat couscous, fold in cilantro, and mound on a platter. Arrange hen halves around couscous and serve hot or warm.

CORNISH HENS STUFFED WITH COUSCOUS WITH OKRA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring 2 cups of the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan and add the apricots. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the allspice and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and stock with apricots, cover the pan and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the almonds and the honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. 2. Season the cavities of the hens with salt and pepper and fill with the couscous stuffing. Truss the chicken, then rub each with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Season hens on all sides in an oven-proof saute pan and place in oven. 3. Roast for 35-40 minutes. Transfer the hens to a plate. Remove some of the fat from the roasting pan and place on the burner over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 cup of stock and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan until reduced to 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring 2 cups of the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan and add the apricots. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the allspice and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and stock with apricots, cover the pan and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add 1 tablespoon of butter, the almonds, and the honey and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Season the cavities of the hens with salt and pepper and fill with the couscous stuffing. Truss the hens, then rub each with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season hens on all sides in an oven-proof saute pan and place in oven.
• Roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the hens to a plate. Remove some of the fat from the roasting pan and place on the burner over medium heat. Add the remaining cup of stock and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan until reduced to 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in fry pan. Dredge okra in corn meal and fry until golden brown. Immediately toss with remaining ingredients.

CROCK POT MOROCCAN CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Rinse hens.
• Pat dry.
• In small bowl, combine garlic, honey, turmeric, onion, allspice, salt and cayenne.
• Brush this mixture on hens.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Place in cooker with juice from marinade.
• Sprinkle tomatoes over top.
• Cook on low 5 and 1/2 to 6 hours.
• Arrange on serving platter over hot, cooked rice.
• Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

MORROCAN-STYLE ROAST CORNISH HENS WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Coarsely grind caraway seeds with salt in an electric coffee/spice grinder or crush with a rolling pin. Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with salt mixture using flat side of a chef's knife. Transfer paste to a large bowl and whisk in honey, lemon juice, oil, spices, and pepper.
• Put zucchini, turnips, bell peppers, butternut squash, and onions in an oiled large roasting pan, then add half of spice mixture and toss until well coated. Stir tomatoes and broth into vegetables. Add hens to large bowl with remaining spice mixture and toss to coat, then arrange hens, breast sides up, over vegetables in pan.
• Cover pan tightly with foil and roast in middle of oven 1 hour. Uncover and roast until hens are browned and vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes more. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Sprinkle herbs on top and spoon some cooking liquid over 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.

MOROCCAN STYLE BALSAMIC CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Rinse the game hens under running water. Pat dry and cut them in half lengthwise (kitchen scissors work fine).
• Arrange orange slices in bottom of a 9x13" glass baking dish. Top with game hens.
• Mix 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped garlic and 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin in bowl. Rub mixture all over hens. Wash your hands well with soap and hot water.
• Whisk together port, sherry, oil, vinegar, and honey in small bowl. Taste it to see if the mixture is to your taste, then if it is, pour over hens. (There is quite a difference between the taste of balsamic vinegar - which is sweet - and red wine vinegar, so if you use wine vinegar you'll definitely want to taste the mixture and adjust the amount of honey to your preference before pouring it over the hens.).
• Tuck dates and olives between hens and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight, turning hens once. (I've made this recipe beginning in the morning and marinated it 6-8 hrs during the day, too, and it was still delicious.).
• Remove hens from refrigerator and place on counter, covered, for at least 30 minutes. (You don't want to put a chilled baking dish straight into a preheated oven.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Turn the hens skin side up, then bake hens with marinade, dates and olives until hens are cooked through, basting occasionally, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer hens, dates and olives to serving platter. Discard orange slices. Pour the pan juices into a heavy small saucepan.
• Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin and 1 tsp butter and simmer until reduced to about half, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon some sauce over hens. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro.
• Serve, passing remaining sauce separately in a gravy or sauce bowl.
• Note: when I first made this recipe, I didn't have fresh cilantro on hand, and couldn't even find dried in our herb stash, which surprised me. Mike collects herbs and spices, and we have a huge collection in the pantry. (I call him Condiment Man.) I had a bunch of a nice Italian dried herb mix (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage), so used that instead. I know it's not really an equivalent to cilantro, but it smelled wonderful anyhow and it tasted great, too. I also add lots more green olives and dates, which the recipe reflects :)
• Note #2: if you want/need to serve more than two people, you can use the above marinade for up to 6 hens, then you'll need to begin adding more ingredients.