Meet my Cornish Hen Stuffed with Spiced Rice دجاج محشي.
Ingredients
- 🍗 2 cornish hens washed and dried (sub whole chicken)
- 🍗 2 cups short grain rice soaked 1 hour
- 🍗 7 oz ground beef
- 🍗 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 🍗 1/3 cup vegetable oil plus 3 tablespoons
- 🍗 1 tbsp salt
- 🍗 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 🍗 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- 🍗 1 tbsp seven spices
- 🍗 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 🍗 paprika
Instructions
- Heat 1/3 cup oil in a 4-quart non-stick pot over medium low heat.
- Place almonds in the heated oil and fry until golden. Continuously stir to prevent burning. Remove from oil and set aside.
- In the same pot over medium heat, add the beef, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until browned.
- Meanwhile, drain your rice and rinse once more.
- Mix all the spices together except for the paprika.
- Add the rice, almonds, and add half of the spices to the meat in the pot. Give it a good stir. Reserve the rest of the spices to coat 2 cornish hens.
- Fill the pot with water until it covers the rice. it should be up to the first knuckle deep.
- On high, bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, turn it down to low, cover, and let it cook. You will want to stir once in between cooking. You will know it’s done when most of the water has absorbed. Note with short grain rice, the rice might look a little wet but leave covered off heat and it will absorb.
- Once done, open the pan and let the rice rest and cool before stuffing.
- Have a sterile needle and thread ready. Stuff your cornish hen with rice and close it by sewing the edges of the opening together.
- Place in a roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining 3 tbsp of oil and add remaining spices and paprika. Massage into skin. Feel free to add a bit more salt if desired.
- Add 3 cups water to the side of the pan and place in a preheated 450F oven. Bake on lower rack uncovered for 30 minutes. Then bring down the temperature to 400F and continue baking for another 60 minutes. Make sure to check the pan throughout baking and add additional water if evaporated. This broth will be used in the molokhia.
- Bon appétit, sahtain, صحتين 🌻.