Prep 20 min Cook 45 min
The heady aroma of saffron combines bulgur wheat and game hen roasted with oranges to give you a delicious Moroccan style meal.
In our household, the usual question about planning dinner could very well be what to have with bulgur wheat? It has become in many cases the default side dish to many of our midweek and weekend dinners which is really not surprising. Rich in fiber and lower in carbs, with a nutty taste and foolproof cooking method, the coarse cut bulgur wheat is one of our primary choice side dishes.
Bulgur wheat’s versatility allows it be mixed with other ingredients like toasted vermicelli, pine nuts or raisins and can be prepared with water or preferably with chicken broth for added flavor. Once you bring the liquid and bulgur wheat to a boil the heat is turned off and you let the wheat absorb the broth – for about 20 minutes.
Other examples of its versatility include a one pan Lemon Chicken With Bulgur Wheat and Bulgur Wheat With Raisins And Pine Nuts.
It is important to note that these dishes like this one, call for coarse bulgur wheat not the fine variety used in salads like Tabouleh.
Saffron Bulgur Wheat With Baked Game Hen
by
Derek Farwagi
Equipment
- small baking tray, oven proof dish or cast iron skillet.
- a quart pot to soak the bulgur wheat
- a small frying pan to sauté the shallots
Ingredients
The game hens
- 1 game hen
- 1 large red onion
- 1 orange
- 2 tbsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
The bulgur wheat
- 1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
- A fistful of crushed vermicelli.
- 1 cups water or chicken stock
- 2 shallots
- A handful of raisins (either golden or red raisins).
- A pinch of saffron
- 2 tbsp olive to drizzle on hen and slices before baking
Instructions
The game hens
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Slice the red onions in 1/4" slices.
- Cut the orange in half. Thinly slice one half (about 1/8" so the peel is thin enough to caramelizes and becomes edible). Squeeze the juice of the other half in a small bowl.
- Stuff the hen with a few slices of red onions and oranges.
- Spread remaining onion and orange slices in a foil lined baking tray, oven proof dish or cast iron skillet
- Pat the hens dry. Salt and pepper both sides and place over the onions and oranges. In that way the juices will drip onto the slices.
- Mix the orange juice and honey. This is your basting liquid.
- Drizzle a little oilve oil and bake for about 40 minutes, basting frequently.
- When the hen is cooked remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
The bulgur wheat
- Bring 2+ cups of water to boil.
- While the water is heating up, sauté the shallots with 1 tbsp olive oil on a medium heat till softened - about 5 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Wipe the pan, add 1tbsp olive oil and toast the vermicelli. Set aside.
- In a small cup or bowl, soak the saffron in 2 tbsp boiling water. Set aside
- Rinse the bulgur wheat then add it to boiling water. Add the onions, raisins, vermicelli and saffron and salt to taste, mix and cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, cover pot and let the mixture soak for about 20 minutes.
- Test for doneness. The wheat should still have a slight "al denté" texture to it. If it needs more time, add a little more water and put back on a low fire.
Serve the dish
- Cut the hen in half using kitchen scissors.
- Make a bed of bulgur wheat on each plate and place half a hen on that.
- Add a few slices of cooked onion and orange peel to each portion and serve.
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