Best Moroccan Style Cornish Hens With Couscous Recipes

Moroccan-Style Cornish Game Hens image

Yield Serves 2

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 large orange, thinly sliced
2 Cornish game hens, cut lengthwise in half
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup tawny Port
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
20 whole pitted dates
10 large pitted green olives

Steps:

Arrange orange slices in bottom of 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Top with game hens. Mix 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped garlic and 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin in bowl. Rub mixture all over hens. Whisk tawny Port, oil, vinegar and honey in small bowl. Pour over hens. Tuck dates and olives between hens. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight, turning hens once.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Turn hens skin side up. Bake hens with marinade, dates and olives until hens are cooked through, basting occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer hens, dates and olives to platter; discard orange slices. Pour pan juices into heavy small saucepan. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon some sauce over hens. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Morrocan-Style Roast Cornish Hens with Vegetables image

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 22

1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup mild honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 large zucchini (1 1/4 lb total), halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium turnips (1/2 lb total), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces
2 red bell peppers, quartered and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium onions, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick wedges
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-lb) Cornish hens, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh parsley, cilantro, and mint
Accompaniment: couscous

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Coarsely grind caraway seeds with salt in an electric coffee/spice grinder or crush with a rolling pin. Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with salt mixture using flat side of a chef's knife. Transfer paste to a large bowl and whisk in honey, lemon juice, oil, spices, and pepper.
Put zucchini, turnips, bell peppers, butternut squash, and onions in an oiled large roasting pan, then add half of spice mixture and toss until well coated. Stir tomatoes and broth into vegetables. Add hens to large bowl with remaining spice mixture and toss to coat, then arrange hens, breast sides up, over vegetables in pan.
Cover pan tightly with foil and roast in middle of oven 1 hour. Uncover and roast until hens are browned and vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes more. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Sprinkle herbs on top and spoon some cooking liquid over hens.

Moroccan-Style Cornish Game Hens image

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds (from about 1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Cornish game hens (each 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
Orange-Honey Sauce

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Finely grind first 7 ingredients in spice grinder or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Whisk in orange juice, oil and garlic. (Spice mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
Rub spice mixture all over hens; place hens in large roasting pan. Sprinkle hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together to hold shape. Arrange carrots in pan around hens. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes. Add stock to roasting pan. Roast hens until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced and carrots are tender, basting hens occasionally with pan juices, about 35 minutes longer. Place 1 hen on each of 4 plates. Arrange carrots alongside. Spoon warm Orange-Honey Sauce over and serve.

Moroccan-Style Cornish Hens with Couscous image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt
pepper
4 small (less than 1 1/2 pounds) or 2 large Cornish hens, split in half
Juice of 2 lemons
1 1/2 cups medium-grain couscous, cooked in chicken stock according to package directions
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves

Steps:

Mix 3 tablespoons of the oil with the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub inside surfaces of hens with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, then smear them, inside and out, with the spice paste. Set aside 1 hour.
Sauté onions in remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Stir in raisins and remaining cumin and cook until onions are lightly browned. Fold in cooked couscous and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat grill or heat oven to 375 degrees. If grilling, sear hens on the skin side over medium heat, then turn them over, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. If using oven, roast hen halves skin side up in a roasting pan until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice.
Reheat couscous, fold in cilantro, and mound on a platter. Arrange hen halves around couscous and serve hot or warm.