Bacon-Wrapped Cornish Hens with Corn Couscous
1 Cornish game hen, defrosted if frozen
1 teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence (see note)
2 slices uncooked bacon
⅔
cup plain couscous
1 teaspoon olive oil
10 peeled baby carrots (for 1/3 cup thin slices)
¼
cup diced onion
¼
cup diced red bell pepper
⅔
cup frozen sweet, white corn kernels
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a roasting pan (see note) with cooking-oil spray or line with nonstick foil. Wash game hen and dry inside and out with paper towels. Place herb mix in hen cavity and shake to coat evenly.
Holding legs together, tie 1 slice of bacon around leg portion of hen to hold them together. Tuck wings under.
Place hen breast down in pan. Roast 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165 to 180 degrees degrees, depending on personal preference.
While the hen roasts, prepare couscous according to package directions in a 2-quart or larger pot with lid (see note).
Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in an 11-inch skillet. Add the carrots, onion and pepper to skillet. Cook until onions are tender, about 3 minutes. If necessary, rinse corn in a colander to remove any ice crystals, shaking to remove as much water as possible. Add corn to skillet, and stir and toss to thaw corn and heat through, about 2 more minutes. Set aside.
When couscous is done, fluff with a fork and stir in all vegetables. Cook remaining bacon slice in microwave until crisp, about 45 seconds. Crumble and add to couscous. Cover pilaf and set pan aside.
When hens are done, remove from oven. Using kitchen shears, cut down spine of hen and separate into 2 halves. To serve: Spread half of each plate with a generous portion of pilaf. Arrange 1 hen half to partially overlap couscous, and serve.
Serves two.
Cook's notes: Use equal parts of dried rosemary, marjoram, thyme and sage if you can't find the Herbes de Provence. Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled. Adjust size of baking pan according to number of hens - four will roast nicely in a 9-by-13-inch pan. For even roasting, make sure hens have enough room without touching sides of pan or each other.
@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 751 calories (44 percent from fat), 37 g fat (10 g saturated), 62 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 187 mg cholesterol, 318 mg sodium.