Cornish Hens with Apple-Cranberry Rice Stuffing

Cornish Hens stuffed with a wild rice, cranberry, and apple stuffing and roasted with an apple cider glaze, these elegant hens are a gorgeous alternative to turkey for the holiday season.

Ingredients

Stuffing

▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 1/4 cup chopped onion
▢ 1/4 cup chopped celery
▢ 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
▢ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
▢ 1-1/2 cups cooked rice (long grain and wild, or "Royal/Wild Blend")*
▢ 1/2 cup peeled, diced Fuji apples (1/4-inch dice, about 1/2 large apple)
▢ 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
▢ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
▢ kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
▢ splash apple cider
 Glaze
▢ 1 cup apple cider
▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup
▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
▢ pinch ground cinnamon
 

Hens

▢ 4 cornish hens (1.25 to 1.5 pounds each)
▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
▢ kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 Instructions
 

Make the Stuffing

• Melt butter in a skillet until foaming subsides. Add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add pecans, sage, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 more minutes, until pecans are fragrant.
• Deglaze the pan with a small splash of apple cider, and scrape any brown bits from the bottom.
• Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice, apples, cranberries, and parsley. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make the Glaze

• Combine apple cider and maple syrup in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a steady bubble. Simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk in Dijon mustard and cinnamon until smooth. Set aside.

Stuff and Roast the Hens

• Remove hens from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to roasting. Remove giblets, rinse hens, and pat dry with a paper towel. 
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a roasting rack inside of a foil-lined roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet. Spray roasting rack with cooking spray.
• Lightly season the cavities of the hens with salt and pepper. Loosely spoon about 1/2 cup of stuffing into each cavity. Tie the legs closed with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the birds. Arrange the hens in the pan with enough space between them for air to circulate.
• Brush the tops and sides of each hen with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. 
• Continue roasting for an additional 40-50 minutes. During the last 30 minutes, lightly brush the hens with the glaze every 10 minutes. If the hens start to brown too quickly, shield them with a piece of foil.
• When finished, the hens should register 180 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh, and the juices should run clear. Let hens rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips: *Cook the rice according to package directions until tender. You can use chicken broth as the liquid for an extra flavor boost.

One bird serves one person for most Cornish hens in the 1.25 to 1.5-pound range. Larger hens can be split in half to serve two guests.