Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [195]
Rub the hens on both sides with olive oil, then gently massage salt and pepper into the meat and skin (about 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper for each bird).
Heat a very large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, or even two skillets, over medium-high heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface. Place the hens skin side down in the skillet(s), then use a heavy saucepan or other pot to press them down against the skillet, weighting them down against the hot surface. Immediately reduce the heat to medium. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes with the heavier pan resting on the birds.
Remove the saucepan and turn the birds over. Place the skillet(s) in the oven and roast until golden, until a meat thermometer inserted into the meat without touching the bone registers 165°F (our preference) or 180°F (the USDA recommendation), 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the skillet(s) from the oven. Transfer the birds to a serving platter; tent with foil.
Pour off the oil from one skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Swirl in the broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Simmer the mixture until it reduces to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Pour this sauce over the birds before serving.
Variations: Marinate the birds in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, first coating them in Tapenade, Pecan Pesto, or the Fresh Herb Rub for the turkey breast. If you use any of these marinades or rubs, omit oiling, salting, and peppering the birds, but do add at least 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet to prevent the birds from sticking as they sear.
Wild Rice–Stuffed Guinea Hens
Also called a pintade, a guinea hen has dark meat throughout but a very mild taste. Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 small shallot, chopped
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Two 3-pound guinea hens, giblets and necks removed
8 thick-cut bacon slices
Butcher’s twine
¼ cup beef broth
¼ cup red wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the shallot, cooked wild rice, cranberries, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Divide this mixture in half and stuff each half into the large cavities of the hens.
Lay 4 bacon slices over one bird’s breast so that the ends hang down to the wing areas, overlapping the slices a bit. Truss the bird; you may also want to wrap the bird once or twice tip to tail to make sure the bacon stays in place. Repeat with the remaining bacon and the other bird.
Set the birds on a wire rack in a large roasting pan and roast until well browned, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the thighs without touching the bone registers 165°F (our preference) or 180°F (the USDA recommendation), and until the thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing registers 160°F. Remove the birds from the oven and set them on a carving board or platter.
Skim the fat off the liquid in the roasting pan. If the roasting pan is not heat-safe (if, for example, you’ve used an aluminum baking sheet), transfer the pan drippings to a small saucepan, scraping up any browned bits as well. Set either the flameproof roasting pan or the saucepan over high heat; mix in the broth and wine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter and serve with the carved hens. (Carve them as you would a chicken—page section Chicken, Turkey, and Other Birds—but do not divide the legs from the thighs and only cut the breast sections in half.)
Variations: Substitute chopped pitted prunes, chopped dried apricots, dried blueberries,