Servings: 8
Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes (Active time: 30 minutes)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) or extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 Cornish hens or 2 roasting chickens (about 4 pounds each)
Kosher salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat with the honey and pepper. Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside.
Divide the onions among the bottom of two large baking dishes or roasting pans. Rub the hens all over with the remaining chicken fat, then season all over with salt. Place the hens on top of the onions (four in each pan; they should not be crowded), using roasting racks if desired. Roast the hens until they are golden brown and just about cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush each hen with the reserved honey glaze. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake the hens until the chickens are deeply browned and the juices from the hens run clear, an additional 5 minutes.
Set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
SAUTEED CABBAGE
Servings: 8
1 bunch scallions
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
Chop scallions, reserving white and dark green parts separately.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and saute until the cabbage begins to release its juices, about 1 minute. Add water and cover, and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining scallion and cook, uncovered, until the water has evaporated and the cabbage is tender, about 2 more minutes.
BAKED APPLES
Servings: 8
1/2 cup coconut oil or dairy-free butter substitute, melted
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
4 baking apples
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, and raisins, and set aside.
Core the apples. Slice the top off each apple, approximately ¼-inch from the top, and, using an apple-corer, small knife, or spoon, gently hollow the two apples. Be sure to leave about a 1/2-inch-thick shell.
Fill the hollowed apples with the sugar mixture. Place stuffed apples in a greased baking dish and bake until the apples are slightly browned, tender, and cooked throughout, about 25 minutes. Spoon the liquid at the bottom of the pan over the apples before serving.
Nutrition information per serving of Cornish hens: 398 calories; 109 calories from fat; 12 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 236 mg cholesterol; 380 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 18 g sugar; 52 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of cabbage: 72 calories; 48 calories from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 142 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 2 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of baked apples: 234 calories; 119 calories from fat; 14 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 26 g sugar; 1g protein.
This article was provided to The Associated Press by The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
