Cornish Game Hens Stuffed with Moroccan Dressing
This recipe was given to me by a client of mine who invited me to lunch one day many years ago. When Michael and I took my brother and sister-in-law out to dinner last time we were in the Seattle area, we went to a Moroccan restaurant. It was very interesting. We had to eat everything with our bare hands after first washing them with warm, soapy water then drying them with a warm towel—both supplied by the waiter. They started the meal out with the stuffing from this recipe wrapped in filo dough. My sister-in-law fell in love with the dressing, so I’m including it for her.
Ingredients for Cornish Game Hens Stuffed with Moroccan Dressing
- 1 cups fresh or canned Chicken Stock or Broth
- ½ cup coarse-ground Bulgur Wheat (also called Cracked Wheat or Ala)
- ½ teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt (more to taste if necessary)
- ¼ cup ground Almonds, toasted
- 1 ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley
- ¼ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- 2 (1 ¾ pound) Cornish Game Hens, thawed
Combine the chicken stock, Bulgar wheat and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool uncovered, so the bulgur wheat absorbs all the liquid.
Heat a small frying pan and toast the almonds over low heat until brown. Remove the almonds and let cool on a plate.
Heat the frying pan again and add the oil and onion. Sauté until tender. Place the cooled bulgur wheat in a bowl and add the almonds and onion. Add the remaining ingredients to the onions and mix well.
Stuff the birds with the bulgur mixture and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Tuck the wings under the hens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Yes, they look like little turkeys and are really cute. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in a preheated 375°F oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Allow hens to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 2-4.
Helpful Links and References for Cornish Game Hens:
- What IS a Cornish Game Hen? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_game_hen