¼cupfinely minced shallots,can substitute sweet onion or scallions
2ribsfinely chopped celery
⅓cupdried cranberries
½cupchopped roasted pecans
½cupchicken stock
1teaspoonchopped fresh thyme,can substitute ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1teaspoonchopped fresh rosemary,can substitute ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½teaspoonpoultry seasoning
Cornish hens
4Cornish hens
2tablespoonsolive oil
2teaspoonskosher saltdivided
½teaspoonground black pepper
Instructions
Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat to make the stuffing. Add the shallots and celery and cook for about five minutes until the veggies are translucent and soft.
To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and celery and cook for about five minutes until the veggies are translucent and soft. Add the cranberries and pecans and cook for another two minutes or until the cranberries have plumped up a bit.
Crumble the corn muffins over the cranberry mixture in the skillet. Add the thyme, rosemary, and poultry seasoning. Combine. Add the chicken broth and combine. Taste and add a little salt and pepper if it's needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To prepare the cornish hens, pat them dry with a paper towel. Then, generously season each bird's cavity with salt and stuff each breast cavity loosely with about a third of a cup of the cornbread stuffing.
Tie the drumsticks together with cotton kitchen string or butcher's twine. Place the chickens in a shallow baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and tuck the wing tips under the birds.
Bake uncovered for about one hour, or until the hens are golden brown and an instant-read meat thermometer registers 160°F when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching any bones.
Remove from the oven and let the hens rest for at least ten minutes. Due to carryover cooking, the internal temperature will rise another five degrees to 165 ° F.
Remove the string, place the hens on a platter, and serve immediately with the extra stuffing. If desired, especially during the holiday season, garnish with a few fresh sprigs of rosemary and fresh cranberries before serving. .
Notes
If you want your skin to stay crispy, don't tent the chicken with foil while it rests. If you do tent it, the condensation can make the skin soggy.
When planning your meal, you can plan on one hen per adult.
When roasting the chickens, if the tips of the drumsticks start to brown too quickly, cover the ends with a little aluminum foil.
Your hens will brown more evenly if you use a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan instead of a deeper one.
If you need to roast your pecans, the easiest way is to microwave them. Simply spread out the chopped pecans on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave them in one-minute intervals until they are done.