Ingredients
Scale
Stuffing
2 TBS Butter, unsalted
¼ Cup Onion, chopped
¼ Cup celery, chopped
⅓ Cup Pecans, coarsely chopped
1 TBS Canuck Clucker
2 tsp Zipp Zapp Zopp
1–½ Cups Wild/White Rice Blend, cooked
½ Cup Fuji Apples, peeled, diced (¼-inch dice, about ½ large apple)
½ Cup Dried Cranberries
3 TBS Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
Kosher Salt and Freshly-Ground Black Pepper
1 TBS Cranberry or Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
Glaze
1 Cup Apple Cider
2 TBS Bourbon Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Spice Blend
Hens
4 Cornish Hens (1.25 to 1.5 pounds each)
2 TBS Butter, unsalted & 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, Canuck Clucker, Zipp Zapp Zopp, and ¼ 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, balsamic, and parsley. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Set it aside.
Make the Glaze:
- Combine apple cider and Bourbon Balsamic in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a steady bubble. Simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to about ⅓ to ½ cup, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk in Dijon mustard and Pumpkin Spice until smooth. Set it aside.
Stuff and Roast the Hens:
- Remove the 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˚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 ½ 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˚F.
- Continue roasting for an additional 40-50 minutes. During the last 30 minutes, lightly brush the hens with 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˚F in the thickest part of the thigh, and the juices should run clear. Let the hens rest for 10 minutes before serving.