Sorry for the lag in blogging lately…it was a rough week with our youngest ill with strep throat. Our weight loss continues and I plan to post the simple things we did during the week to keep the calorie count low over the next few days. But for now…here’s what was cooking tonight
Herbed Game Hen with Faro Pilaf
To everyone reading this that thinks that they can’t make restaurant style entrees or all that “fancy stuff” I beg to differ. It just takes a little time and most importantly a bit of confidence. I was and am still am impressed with chefs and home cooks who are skilled at deboning poultry. It is an impressive skill. However, not an impossible task for the average home cook. The keys to success are confidence, patience and a good knife.
Sundays are the day I love to take the time to make dishes that require a little more prep than I usually have time for during the week. One of my classics is a whole roasted chicken basted and rubbed with an herbed butter. This week I decided to switch things up with two Cornish game hens, a lighter rub, and nutrient whole grain faro pilaf as a side dish.
The dinner received rave reviews! It was juicy and flavorful.
I would offer you a detailed recipe but if you know me well sometimes a collection of ideas comes to me and I forget to measure.
If you are inspired by this blog, please feel free to Google ‘brine’, ‘Cornish game hens’, or ‘faro’ to get example recipes. Below is an approximation of how I prepared dinner….sorry, it's the best I’ve got.
I thawed both Cornish game hens and prepared a brine to ensure they stayed juicy during the roasting. Brining sounds complicated and salty but it actually only minimally increases sodium content but massively increases moisture retention during the cooking process. I LOVE brining when I have time, especially during the summer grilling time.
My brine:
In 2 cups of hot water dissolve ¾ cup to 1 cup of kosher salt and 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Add 1 ½ cups of very cold water and a trays worth of ice cubes to the salt mixture. Make sure the solution is cold as to not accidently begin cooking the birds. Adding a hot or even warm solution would be dangerous and not safe to eat despite later cooking. Place the birds and the solution in a container that is just large enough so that the birds can be submerged in the solution. Gallon bags inside a large container can work too.
The Herb Rub:
2 Tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves (remove the stems)
2 Tablespoons of rosemary leaves (remove the stems)
2 cloves of garlic pressed or minced finely
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Mince the herbs fine. Mix all ingredients together. Set aside for the hens.
Preparing the hens:
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove hens from brine and rinse under cold water. Place the breast side of the hens down on a cutting board. Cut the bird in half. Removing the ribs carefully by bending it back and looking for the natural “joints”. Be careful of the cartilage breastbone through the breast. Trim off all excess skin and fat. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and place some of the rub between the breast and the skin. Rub gently to distribute the herb mixture. Repeat on both breasts. Rub remaining herb mixture over the hens. Place on a cooking sheet or broiler pan. Bake until golden, crispy and internal temp is at least 150 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Faro Pilaf:
Cook Faro according to package directions. I started with 1 ½ cups of faro and 3 ½ cups of chicken stock. Check the faro often as cooking times will vary. When it is slightly chewy but not tough, remove from heat and drain any excess liquid.
Mix in the veggies, splash of balsamic vinegar, ½ tsp of soy sauce and toss well.
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