Bottega - Michael Chiarello [71]
Spoon the ragù into the center of each of 6 warmed plates. Place a sausage to one side of the beans, and set a quail beside it.
Oven-Roasted Cornish Hens with Panettone Stuffing
SERVES 4
This is one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth this year. These tender chickens aren’t game birds but young chickens—what the French call poussins. These birds got a bad rap in the 1970s when frozen-solid freezer bombs came to stand for Cornish hens. These birds are something else entirely. Really, it’s not what you call the bird—poussin or Cornish—it’s where the bird hails from and how it’s raised that determines its flavor. (Visit Heritage at www.heritagefoodsusa.com for birds with the right combination of good genes and a healthful lifestyle.)
You can also make this dish using a single 4- to 5-pound chicken: follow the directions, slide it into a 450°F oven for 15 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375°F and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Panettone makes my favorite stuffing, but you can also use brioche or a soft country bread. I generally start with store-bought panettone, usually a loaf that’s given to me as a Christmas gift or one bought at an Italian market. If you have a good panettone recipe, make your own, by all means.
This bird is so good you can easily skip the roasted lemon–rosemary jus, but I give you the option in case you want the full monty.
Wine Pairing: Grenache or Zinfandel
BRINE
1 gallon cold water
4 cups packed light brown sugar
1½ cups kosher salt
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons juniper berries
2 bay leaves
4 Cornish hens or poussins (about 18 ounces each)
PANETTONE STUFFING
Half of one 2.2-pound panettone, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (9 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup julienned dried apricots
¼ cup dried sour cherries
¼ cup golden raisins
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion
½ cup finely chopped celery or fennel
½ cup finely chopped peeled carrot
1½ cups Roasted Chicken Stock or turkey stock, or more as needed
1 large egg, beaten (optional, if you like a firmer stuffing)
ROASTED LEMON–ROSEMARY JUS
2 large lemons
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing, plus ¼ cup
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 cup Roasted Chicken Stock, or 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth, boiled until reduced by half
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
Olive oil for rubbing, plus 2 tablespoons
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
FOR THE BRINE: Combine the water, brown sugar, kosher salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, and bay leaves in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, remove from the heat, let cool, and refrigerate.
Trim the birds by removing the tip of each wing with kitchen shears. Cut away the excess skin above the breast connected to the neck and then cleanly slice off the neck. Add the birds to the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. You may need to weight down the birds; if so, place a plate on top and set a few clean heavy cans on the plate so the birds stay submerged.
FOR THE STUFFING: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the panettone cubes out on two rimmed baking sheets. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and cook until light brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add half the sage. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sage butter over the bread and toss gently but swiftly. Toast the bread in the oven, turning with a spatula halfway through cooking, until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the croutons