Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (169 page)
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 6 CORNISH HENS
Toasted slivered almonds can be substituted for the pistachio nuts.
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground ginger |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground turmeric |
1 | cup couscous |
1¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
¹⁄ | cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | cup dried apricots, chopped fine |
3 | tablespoons dried currants |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1 | teaspoon lemon juice |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in couscous and cook until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
2.
Stir in broth and bring to simmer. Remove saucepan from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork and transfer to medium bowl. Stir in pistachios, apricots, currants, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Stuffing can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 6 CORNISH HENS
The wild rice blend in this stuffing holds together when pressed with a fork. You can use wild rice, but the cooked grains will remain separate.
2 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | cup wild rice blend |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
1 | carrot, peeled and chopped fine |
¹⁄ | celery rib, minced |
1 | ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced |
4 | ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
2 | teaspoons minced fresh thyme |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is fully cooked, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer rice to medium bowl and fluff with fork.
2.
Meanwhile, melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and porcini and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add shiitakes and cook until tender and liquid evaporates, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir mushroom mixture into rice, along with parsley and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Stuffing can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 6 CORNISH HENS
The wild rice blend in this stuffing holds together when pressed with a fork. You can use wild rice, but the cooked grains will remain separate.
2 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | cup wild rice blend |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | onion, chopped fine |
¹⁄ | celery rib, minced |
¹⁄ | cup pecans, toasted and chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | cup dried cranberries |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
2 | teaspoons minced fresh thyme |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is fully cooked, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer rice to medium bowl and fluff with fork.
2.
Meanwhile, melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir onion mixture into rice, along with pecans, cranberries, parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Stuffing can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
SERVES 4
In this variation, we skip the stuffing. Butterflying a Cornish game hen is similar to
BUTTERFLYING A CHICKEN OR TURKEY
. Use kitchen shears to cut out and remove the backbone, then make a ¹⁄
4
-inch cut in the breastbone to separate the breast halves and lightly press down to flatten the bird. Finally, with the skin facing up, fold the wingtips behind the bird to secure them.
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
¹⁄ | teaspoon dried thyme, basil, or tarragon |
4 | (1¹⁄ |
2 | teaspoons butter, softened |
1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Combine salt, pepper, and thyme in bowl.
2.
Butterfly hens, flatten breastbone, and tuck wings underneath. Pat hens dry with paper towels, then use your fingers to gently loosen skin covering breast and thighs. Rub one-quarter of salt mixture under skin of each hen. Using metal skewer, poke 4 or 5 holes in skin of each hen, then rub skin with ¹⁄
2
teaspoon butter. Place hens skin side up on prepared rack.
3.
Roast hens until lightly browned and thighs register 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes.
4.
Remove baking sheet from oven and heat broiler. Broil hens until golden brown, breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, about 5 minutes. Transfer hens to carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle any accumulated pan juices over each hen and serve.
1.
Spoon ¹⁄
2
cup of hot filling into cavity of each hen.
2.
Tie legs of each hen together with kitchen twine.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Duck has one main problem—it is extremely fatty. We wanted knockout duck with crisp skin and moist, flavorful meat, minus a lot of the fat. We found that it was important to get rid of much of the fat from the outset so that the skin could crisp properly. Loose skin, including most of the flap that covers the neck cavity, also had to be cut away. Taking a cue from Asian roast duck recipes, we first steamed the duck to render additional fat. Then, because the legs were still too fatty, we cut the duck into pieces before roasting. Once the legs were no longer protected from the heat, they rendered much more fat during their stay in the oven. And because we roasted the parts skin side down and finished them skin side up, the skin was beautifully browned and crisp.
See “PREPARING ROAST DUCK” illustration that follows recipe.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Port comes in many styles, but we prefer to use an inexpensive Tawny port here. For duck with very moist, tender meat and slightly crisp skin once roasted, steam the duck for about 40 minutes in step 2. Steam 10 minutes longer for somewhat denser meat and very crisp skin after roasting.
1¹⁄ | cups port |
2 | garlic cloves, sliced thin |
4 | sprigs fresh thyme |
1 | (4¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Bring port, garlic, and thyme to simmer in small saucepan and cook until thickened and measures ¹⁄
4
cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard garlic and thyme sprigs; set glaze aside until ready to use.
2.
Meanwhile, set V-rack in flameproof roasting pan and place duck breast side up on rack. Add water to just below bottom of duck, place pan over 2 burners, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, and steam, until skin has pulled away from at least 1 leg, about 40 minutes (add more hot water to maintain water level if necessary). Transfer duck to carving board, let cool slightly, then carve into 6 pieces (2 boneless breasts, 2 legs, 2 wings). Remove rack and discard steaming liquid. Wipe out pan with paper towels.
3.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray now-empty pan with vegetable oil spray. Season duck pieces with salt and pepper and place skin side down in prepared pan. Roast duck, carefully removing fat if more than 2 tablespoons accumulate in pan, until skin on breast pieces is rich golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Transfer breast pieces to plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
4.
Again, carefully remove excess fat from pan, turn leg and wing pieces skin side up, and continue roasting until skin is deep golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Again, carefully remove excess fat from pan. Return breast pieces to pan and brush both sides of each piece with glaze; position pieces skin side up once glazed. Roast until glaze is hot and richly colored on duck pieces, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
The lime juice keeps this thick, syrupy glaze from being too sweet.
Substitute 1 cup orange juice (2 oranges), 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 2 tablespoons honey for port and omit garlic and thyme.