Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Cauliflower Puree

Sometimes I feel like doing something a little different on Sundays.  I came across a recipe on Epicurious that seemed like a good challenge.  It turned out to be super simple and crazy delicious.   

Cornish game hens are basically little chickens, so no need to stress out.  You can find them at Whole Foods any time.  They're sort of fun too since you can make one per person.  It's definitely a lot of food though.  The guys ate it all, but both ladies had leftovers (which is never a bad thing).  I paired the birds with a cauliflower puree and roasted brussels sprouts.

For a delicious dinner for 4, you will need: 

For the main:

2/3 cup wild rice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 small red onion

1/3 cup drained dried tomatoes packed in oil (about 2 1/2 ounces)

1 shallot

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

8 ounces of sausage (I used bulk pork sausage from the Whole Foods meat counter)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 small Cornish hens

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup Tawny Port

2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch

Cauliflower puree:

1 head of cauliflower

1 tablespoon of butter

1/4 cup of milk (at the most)

1 clove of minced garlic

Brussels Sprouts

1 lb of brussels sprouts

1/4 cup of sliced almonds

1 tablespoon olive oil

Wild rice can take up to an hour to cook.  I actually made mine earlier in the day so that I didn't have to wait later on the rice later on.  Add 2 cups of water and 2/3 cups of rice to a small pot.  Cover and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is cooked through.

Next, chop the veggies

And brown the meat

Once the meat is just about browned, but not fully cooked, add the veggies and cook until soft.

After the veggies are soft (5 minutes or so) add the rice.

Chop up the parsley and add to the pan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool.

Now for the birds...  Clean the hens by washing inside and out, then dry well.  Preheat the oven to 350.

Don't forget to season them all over with salt and pepper.

There's no magic to stuffing the hens.  Just get in there.

Don't be shy...

Stuff all the birds

Then tie the legs with some kitchen twine.

Heat some oil over high heat.  Since we are browning the birds, a cast iron skillet works great.  Once you place the birds in the pan, don't mess with them!  Just let them brown, it will take a few minutes.  After a few minutes, carefully turn the birds using some tongs and brown on the other side.

After a few minutes, carefully turn the birds using some tongs and brown on the other side.

Add 3/4 cups of port and 3/4 cups of broth to the bottom of a roasting pan.

Once all the little birdies are browned, add them to the pan.  Roast them in the oven for an hour or unti the internal temperature reaches 170.

Place the remaining stuffing in a small, greased casserole dish with 1/4 cup of broth.  Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.  I put mine in after the birds cooked for about 50 minutes.  Then when the meat is resting the stuffing will finish up and be golden brown on top and super tasty. 

While the meat cooks, you have plenty of time to make a delicious cauliflower puree.  Chop the cauliflower into small florets to start.

If you have a steamer insert, this is a great dish to use it on.

Steam until fork tender and soft, but not mushy.

If you don't have a food processor, you can make the puree in a bowl in a similar manner to mashed potatoes.  Just add some milk, butter, salt and pepper.  Then mash and mix to desired consistency.

I decided to take the path of least resistance and use the food processor.  Just buzz for a few seconds until you have the texture that you're looking for.  If you want it thinner, just add some milk or stock.  Creamier, add some butter.  I just covered the puree with plastic wrap to keep it warm for later.

Pretty straight forward...  This was actually my first time making this and it was so easy I've already made it since.

Roasted brussels sprouts are also super simple.  Just roughly chop the sprouts, or pulse for a minute in the food processor.  Then place on a large baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  When you take the birds out of the oven, they need to rest.  That gives you time to crank the heat up to 425 and roast the veggies for 15 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add the sliced almonds.

Okay, the birds have cooked for an hour, they're at 170 and ready to rock.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove rack from pan and add the remaining 1/4 cup of port.  Then place the roasting pan on the stove over medium high heat and deglaze, scarping up the brown bits.  Then transfer the liquid to a saucepan and reduce over medium heat.  Add the remaining 1 cup of stock and boil until sauce is reduced and a glaze is formed.  

Sorry, I was moving fast and the kitchen was a disaster so there were no pictures of this part.  I don't think that there was a square inch of available counter space...

By now the hens are rested, the veggies are roasted and pureed, and the extra stuffing is golden brown.

To plate, spread the puree on the bottom of each plate.

Then place a little birdie on top.

Then drizzle some sauce over the top.

Voila.  Serve the brussels sprouts and extra stuffing family style and enjoy.  I forgot to take pictures of the meal as a whole.  It just looked too good and I was hungry.  Next time.