Roasted Cornish Hen with Gumbo Rice

By Janet A. Zimmerman

Dave Scantland

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This recipe is adapted from one by chef John Besh forstuffed quail with gumbo. While that dish was delicious, we wanted a simpler version and developed this one, which you can think of as a sort of deconstructed gumbo. It's still somewhat time-consuming, but you can make the gumbo sauce ahead of time and reheat it while the rice and hen cook.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Cornish hen
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat (or use olive or vegetable oil)
• 4 ounces Andouille sausage, minced, divided use
• 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, plus additional for searing hen
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup), divided use
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 2/3 cup), divided use
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced, divided use
• 1/2 small rib celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1-1/3 cups cooked long-grain rice (see note)
• 1 tablespoon thin-sliced scallion (1 small scallion)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Spatchcock (or butterfly) the Cornish hen by cutting out the backbone and flattening the bird. (If you're not familiar with spatchcocking, this step-by-step photo tutorial may be helpful.)

3. Place the bird on a rack over a sheet pan. Salt both sides and let it sit for at least 20 minutes (several hours is better, or even overnight in the refrigerator is fine).

4. In a small saucepan, heat the bacon fat (or oil) and add the Andouille sausage. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until the sausage browns and begins to get crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside about 1/4 cup, leaving the rest in the saucpan.

4. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the minced onion, 2 tablespoons of the red bell pepper and one of the minced garlic cloves (they'll go into the rice).

4. While the bird is resting, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium sized heavy saucepan over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the flour and whisk into the hot oil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring for 15 minutes or so, until the roux turns a medium dark brown color (like chocolate). Add the remaining onion and continue stirring for another 5 minutes or until the roux is a deep brown (almost like coffee).

5. Add the remaining diced bell pepper and garlic along with the celery and tomato paste. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of Andouille, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, granulated garlic, and cayenne and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

6. Coat a large, heavy skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat until the oil shimmers. Blot the Cornish hen with paper towels and lay it in the skillet, skin side down. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the skin is starting to turn golden brown. Flip the bird over and place the skillet into the preheated oven. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until the bird is browned and thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165F. Let the cooked bird rest for a few minutes.

7. While the hen roasts and the gumbo simmers, heat the reserved andouille over medium heat until it starts sizzling again. Stir in the reserved onion (3 tablespoons) and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or so, until the onion just starts browning. Stir in the reserved red pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, for another few minutes, until the red pepper has softened and the garlic is fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cooked rice to reheat. Right before serving, stir in 1/4 cup of the gumbo sauce and the chopped scallion.

8. To serve, cut the Cornish hen in half and divide the rice into two portions. Serve with remaining gumbo sauce.

Notes:

• If you're cooking the rice specifically for this dish, you'll need 1/3 cup raw long-grain rice.
• The rice and sauce would also go well as a side dish with pork tenderloin or sauteed shrimp.