The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Sweet and savory
Dig into honey-glazed Cornish hens with cabbage and apples
Though the disco ball drops in January, the shofar blows in September, marking the beginning of the new year for Jewish communities across the globe. Obser ved as one of the holiest days of the year, Rosh Hashanah is a special two-day celebration of what’s to come.
Like t he ceremonia l blowing of the shofar (a ram’s horn), the holiday is marked by many traditions such as candlelighting, specia l g reetings a nd prayers, a nd foods a nd dishes t hat hold special meaning for the coming year.
And since we are The Culinar y Institute of America — where food is life — we’re here with a new family-favorite recipe to ring in the new year, w ith some special ingredients that help set the tone for happy and healthy months ahead.
Honey-glazed Cornish hens with sauteed cabbage and baked apples is a fresh take on foods commonly found on your Rosh Hashanah t able. The honey infuses sweetness into the new year and, paired with savory schmaltz, adds a sticky glaze atop the crisp poultr y sk in. Ser ved alongside sweet, baked apples — another holiday table tradition — and tender cabbage, this meal is sure to start your family’s year off w ith lots of luck and a full belly.
Schmaltz, which is simply rendered chicken fat, is a common ingredient in traditional Jewish cooking as a substitute for dairy-filled butter. Though it can be found in the kitchens of grandmothers the world over, schmaltz is gaining in popularity for its savory flavor among those who eschew dairy products.
Schmaltz can be purchased in some specialty markets, but it’s a cinch to prepare with ingredients you may already have. In fact, you’ ve likely made it before and just discarded it! (A tragedy.) One common way to “make” schmaltz is to slowly render chicken skin over low heat until it gives up its clear fat — the schmaltz. Another option is to skim the bright yellow fat from the top of homemade chicken stock also schmaltz! When hot it is a liquid, but stored in the refrigerator, the fat w ill become solid and scoopable. Every time you use it in place of butter or oil, your house will smell like chicken soup.
We’ ve used Cornish game hens for this recipe, because they are perfect for individual servings at a holiday dinner. But this glaze will work perfectly with whatever poultry you prefer, like roasting chickens, turkey, or even duck. Of course, the cooking times will vary, so just roast the meat as you would normally, adding the glaze for the last 5 or 10 minutes. You can drizzle some of the leftover glaze over a platter of sliced meat, if you like.
Roa st ed meat s a nd baked apples make the perfect sweet and savory combination. You’ll want t o choose apple s that stand up well to baking, li ke C or t la nd , G olden Delicious, Jonagold and Granny Smith. Granny Smith is a great choice for this recipe, since it’s a little tar t , which w ill help ba la nc e out t he sweetness of the honey-glazed hens. Of course, you want your new year to be sweet, not sour, so choose wisely.