Tangy Pomegranate Chicken Legs Stuffed With Herbed Rice Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line baking sheets with foil.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice, salt, black pepper, cayenne and garlic, and stir. Set aside.
• Rinse and pat the chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, dip them one by one into the butter mixture and place on the prepared baking sheets.
• Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking sheet, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture.
• Place them into the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, basting a couple of times during roasting. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely.
• Remove them when they are nice and golden brown and fully cooked.

Steps:

• Season drumsticks on all sides with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper.
• Heat oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and cook, turning once halfway through, until skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Add onion, cinnamon, and turmeric to fat in skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat. Add 1 1/4 cups hot water, scraping up browned bits from pan, then stir in chickpeas, dried fruit (if using), red pepper (if using), and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Nestle chicken back into skillet and bring liquid to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, then scatter herbs over.

Steps:

• Mix the cinnamon, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; sprinkle all over the hens and inside the cavities. Place the hens on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, soak the grape leaves in water 1 hour.
• Bring the chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice blend and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and cumin and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; add the cooked rice, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley and cilantro; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks and stir to combine.
• Make the glaze: Bring the orange juice and pomegranate molasses to a boil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Fill the cavity of each hen with about 1/2 cup of the rice mixture (reserve the rest); tie the legs together with twine. Roast 20 minutes, then brush with the pomegranate glaze. Continue roasting, glazing every 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Rotate the hens halfway through cooking; if the skin gets too dark, cover loosely with foil.)
• Meanwhile, drain the grape leaves and pat dry. Use some of the leaves to line a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the reserved rice mixture and drizzle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover with the remaining grape leaves, shiny side up, then cover with foil. (If you aren't using grape leaves, spoon the rice into a pie dish, sprinkle with water and cover with foil.) After the hens have roasted about 20 minutes, transfer the rice to the oven and cook until heated through, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer the hens to a platter and add some parsley and cilantro sprigs and pomegranate seeds. Peel the grape leaves off the top of the rice and serve alongside the hens.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Stir pomegranate juice, brown sugar, vinegar, and garlic together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard garlic, then stir in lime juice and let cool 5 minutes. Set aside 6 tablespoons pomegranate syrup.
• Poke several holes in lime with a fork and insert into chicken cavity along with onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, bay leaf, pepper, and rosemary. Tie legs together with kitchen string, sprinkle skin with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, then transfer chicken, breast side up, to a roasting pan.
• Roast chicken, basting with pomegranate syrup every 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest parts of all pieces registers 165 degrees F, about 1 hour total. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve drizzled with reserved pomegranate syrup.

Steps:

• Prepare the chicken legs. Sprinkle them inside and out with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the wild rice and drain.
• Heat the butter in a skillet and add the onions and shallots. Cook, stirring, until they are wilted. Add the mushrooms and cook about one minute, stirring. Add the wild rice, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Cognac and stir. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Stuff each chicken leg with an equal portion of the filling. Carefully fold over the boned thighs to enclose the filling.
• Lay out four squares of plastic wrap, one at a time. Place one stuffed leg in the center and carefully fold the plastic wrap to enclose the stuffed pieces. Wrap securely.
• Place the stuffed chicken legs in one layer in the top rack of a steamer. Set aside. Bring enough water to the boil in the bottom of the steamer to steam the chicken legs when added.
• When ready to cook, place the chicken legs over the steamer and cover closely. Let the legs steam for about 20 minutes or until done. Serve with cream of chicken sauce. One serving suggestion: Spoon a little of the sauce onto a hot plate, top with the stuffed leg and sprinkle with chopped parsley.