Pan Seared Guinea Hen With Roasted Tomatoes Okra And Butternut Squash Recipes

OKRA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon until the bacon is starting to get crispy and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
• Add the onion and garlic; saute for 5 more minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes (with their juices), sugar, thyme, bay leaf, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Use the juices from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Add the okra, cover with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender (about 10-12 minutes for fresh okra or 7-8 minutes for frozen okra).
• Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

OKRA WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Saute 4 smashed garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add 4 cups okra (halved lengthwise) and 1 small onion (cut into wedges); season with salt and pepper and cook until the okra is tender and bright, 10 to 12 minutes. Add 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes; cook until just bursting, 3 minutes. Finish with a splash of cider vinegar.

PAN-ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Bring squash, water, butter, thyme and pepper just to boil in large skillet on medium-high heat; cover. Simmer on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until squash is crisp-tender.
• Uncover skillet; cook squash on high heat 4 to 6 min. or until squash is lightly browned and liquid is cooked off. Remove from heat.
• Add dressing; stir to evenly coat squash. Sprinkle with cheese.

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN'S ROASTED OKRA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the okra, and drain on a kitchen towel. The okra should be dry. Trim away the stem ends and the tips, just the very ends, and then place the okra in a large bowl. Salt to taste, and toss with the olive oil until coated.
• Lift the okra from the bowl, leaving behind any excess oil. Place on a sheet pan in one layer. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes (large okra might take a little longer), shaking the pan every five minutes. The okra should be lightly browned and tender, with a nice seared aroma. If you don't want it to brown as much, set the oven at 400 degrees.
• Remove from the heat, toss with fresh thyme, if desired, and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to a platter. Serve hot.

PAN-SEARED OKRA WITH BACON

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain, reserving the drippings in the skillet.
• Add the okra to the drippings in the skillet. Add the canola oil if the skillet is dry. Sprinkle with the House Seasoning, and toss to coat. Saute until crispy and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the top of the okra. Crumble the bacon over the top and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Serve right from the skillet.
• Stir together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

ROAST GUINEA HEN

Steps:

• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the guinea hen in a large, deep bowl, pour the marinade over and inside the hen, cover the bowl, and marinate, refrigerated, overnight, turning occasionally to ensure that all parts of the bird are covered.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the hen from the marinade. Reserve the marinade. Put the hen in a roasting pan and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the hen breastside down in the pan and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the hen onto its back, decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and roast for 1 hour. While the hen is roasting, place the reserved marinade in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce to approximately 1/4 cup. When the hen has 15 minutes left to cook, pour the reduced marinade over the hen and return it to the oven for its final 15 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven, and let the hen rest for 10 or 15 minutes before dividing into serving portions.

PAN-SEARED GUINEA HEN WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, OKRA, AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Combine the squash, tomatoes, olive oil, and vinegar in a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the okra and toss to coat with the pan liquids. Roast for another 10 minutes, until the okra is tender and bright green and the edges of the squash are golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside, loosely covered to keep warm.
• While the vegetables are roasting, rinse the hen, pat dry with paper towels, and trim any excess fat. Season both sides with 1 tablespoon of the thyme and salt and pepper to taste, pressing gently to adhere.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100). Place the hen in the skillet, skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side until the flesh is firm to the touch, about 4 minutes. Remove the hen and set aside, loosely covered, to keep warm.
• Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the heat. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook and stir for about 1 minute, until the wine reduces by half.
• Stir in the broth, remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, and the chives. Season with additional salt and pepper and cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the legs and vegetables to the skillet and place in the oven to roast for about 15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with the tip of a small knife. Add the breast and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, just to warm through.
• Arrange the vegetables on a larger serving platter or divide evenly between individual serving plates and top with pieces of hen. Spoon the cooking liquid over and around the hen and vegetables and serve warm.
• This dish is a meal in and of itself, but I like to serve it alongside Kate's Sweet Potato Refrigerator Rolls (page 66) or Creamed Vegetable Rice (page 216), and, for more formal entertaining, after a first course of Summer Corn Relish (page 297).
• This technique can also be used on chicken, duck, turkey, or pheasant.
• Place the hen on its back on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife and starting at the neck end of the breast, cut along one side of the breastbone to cut the breast meat away from the rib cage, cutting as close to the rib cage as possible. Repeat on the other side.
• Cut off the wing tips, leaving the small drumstick (or section next to the breast) attached.
• Turn the hen over, bend the thigh back to push the hip joint out of the socket, and cut through the joint. Repeat with the other leg.
• Scrape the meat away from the thighbone, cut at the joint, and remove the thighbone, leaving the leg bone.

ROASTED GUINEA HEN WITH LEMON-THYME PAN SAUCE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH SERRANO HAM

Steps:

• Combine lemon juice, rind, shallot, 1/2 cup olive oil, and thyme in a large baking dish. Add hens and rub with the marinade, inside and out. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 4. Remove from marinade, wipe any excess marinade off, and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in 2 separate saute pans over medium-high heat. Sear the hens in separate pans until golden brown on all sides. Transfer the hens to a large roasting pan and roast in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the hens to a platter and let rest. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners on top of the stove set at medium-high heat. Degrease the pan leaving only 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Add the minced shallots to the roasting pan and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Add the stock, lemon segments, and finely grated zest and cook until reduced by half. Add the 1 tablespoon thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Serrano Ham.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the remaining oil and place in a medium roasting pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add the ham and stir to combine.

ROASTED OKRA AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine okra and onion in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and toss well to coat. Roast until vegetables are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Toss with herbs and serve.