Dec. 06--Chicken or steak. Those were the common choices for most banquet hall food when we got married on a blustery December night more than three decades ago. We went out on a limb and selected Cornish hens served with wild rice. Seems safe today, but trust me it was edgy back then. The little golden birds lined up on our guests' plates burned into our memory.
Now, we regularly cook and enjoy foods no one imagined then -- all manner of chilies, interesting grains such as quinoa and teff, sprouted lentils, Korean gojuchang, tilapia fillets and bison burgers. Foods relegated then to ethnic dining, such as hummus, salsa and curry, populate our supermarket shelves and our everyday dinner tables. Roasts, steaks and chops at the epicenter of the dinner plate mostly show up in our house when we're entertaining.
Take those showy Cornish hens. Countless dinner parties later, I still favor them for a couple of reasons: They make an attractive presentation and they're small and young enough to be moist without brining. Roasting them whole yields delicious, tender meat and skin.
Whenever possible, order fresh, all natural hens, from your local butcher. Rinse them when you get them home, pat dry and place in the coldest section of the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If using frozen hens, allow 2 to 3 days for them to thaw in the refrigerator, then rinse well. Check the cavities, if there are giblets or necks inside, remove them and simmer in water to make a simple broth that you can use for the pan juices.
I usually plan on one whole hen per person, but today some guests request a half. So, after roasting, I split the hens through the breast bone and then use kitchen shears to cut them apart along the backbone. Arranged skin side up on a large heated platter, they make a great presentation on a buffet. Serve the reduced pan juices alongside in a heated bowl with a ladle.
My 2014 version packs a lot more punch and flavor than the hens I roasted as a newly married person. This anniversary, I'm dousing them in a tangy three citrus sauce made slightly spicy with dried chilies and plenty of garlic. After roasting is done, the pan juices get reduced into a red sauce that my husband wants to eat off the spoon. I stopped him so we have plenty to serve in small bowls alongside the rusty-red roasted hens.
It is completely worth the effort to squeeze fresh citrus juices for this recipe -- the difference in taste is remarkable. Likewise, check your stash of ground chili powder, ancho and paprika. These powders should smell intense and have bright, rich color. If the color or aroma has paled, so will the flavor. I like to use a combination of dried ancho chili for robust flavor, Hungarian sweet paprika for sweet red pepper flavor and a bit of chili powder for complexity. Smoked Spanish pimenton works, too. However, feel free to skip the ancho and paprika and use all chili powder (you'll need a quarter cup). Penzeys sells wonderfully fresh chili powders and paprikas at thespicehouse.com.
The same three citrus, chile and garlic seasoning mixture tastes great with skin-on, bone-in chicken or turkey breast halves and whole chicken legs. Adjust the first timing down about 15 minutes for chicken breasts and up about 15 minutes for turkey breast.
As for the now-boring wild rice accompaniment to roasted Cornish hens, I've moved on. Quinoa makes an equally dramatic side, in much less time with a less grassy flavor. The bacony quinoa and black beans that follows just might be the best quinoa recipe ever. I always make a double recipe and enjoy it cold the next day with bits of shredded leftover hens stirred in along with chopped fresh cilantro.
As for the updates to the rest of our celebratory meal, the salad will be made with baby kales, mache and shaved fennel with goat cheese and a pomegranate vinaigrette. Blanched skinny, fresh green beans (haricot vert) seasoned with blood orange butter will replace the limp sweet and sour green beans we loved in our youth.
Sometimes change proves a welcome thing. Thankfully, the Champagne still flows.
Three citrus, ancho, garlic and honey-glazed Cornish hens
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 1/4; hours
Makes: 4 to 8 servings
Four to eight skin-on, bone-in chicken breast halves can be substituted for the hens.
Juice from 2 large pink grapefruits, about 1 cup
Juice from 3 medium limes, about 1/3 cup
Juice from 1 large lemon, about 1/3 cup
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons light olive oil
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon each: chili powder, sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2; teaspoon ground cumin
4 Cornish hens, each about 1 1/4; to 1 1/2; pounds, well rinsed
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4; cup honey
Pea shoots or fresh cilantro sprigs
1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put juices, garlic, oil, ancho and chili powders, paprika, salt and cumin into a blender. Process until smooth.
2 Remove necks or gizzards from cavities of hens. Tuck wing tips behind birds. Put hens into a roasting or baking pan large enough so they do not touch. Evenly pour all of the juice mixture over and into cavities of hens. Turn to coat the hens well inside and out with the mixture. Pour broth into the roasting pan. Bake hens in center of the oven, turning pan once or twice, 45 minutes.
3 Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Ladle off about 1/2; cup of the pan juices into a small dish. Stir in honey. Evenly pour this mixture over the hens. Return hens to the 400-degree oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees, 20-25 minutes.
4 Use tongs to transfer hens to a platter. Cover them loosely with foil; let rest. Set the baking pan over the burner; boil pan juices until reduced enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. You will have about 2 cups. Spoon some of the pan juices around hens on platter. Garnish hens with pea shoots or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a small bowl with a ladle to enjoy with the hens.
Nutrition information per serving (for 8 servings): 413 calories, 28 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 175 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein, 529 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Bacony black beans and tricolor quinoa
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Look for tricolor quinoa at special grocery stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Red or regular quinoa works, too. Double this recipe if desired, leftovers taste delicious; serve at room temperature.
1 medium leek or 1 medium sweet onion
1/4; cup finely diced smoky bacon
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 or 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup tri-color quinoa
1 small orange habanero, left whole, optional
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 Cut off the tough leaves and dark green portion of the leek; set aside for use in a stock later. Cut the white and pale green section of the leek lengthwise in half. Rinse it well, then cut into 1/8-inch thick slices.
2 Cook bacon, leek and garlic with oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until bacon starts to crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth; heat to a boil while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the quinoa. Nestle the habanero into the quinoa. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan tightly; cook until quinoa is tender and all the broth has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans and salt to taste, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Remove habanero.
3 Serve warm garnished with cilantro.
Nutrition information per serving (for 6 servings: 203 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 318 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
