The idea was to introduce more cabbage into our family’s regular eating habits. Nobody in my immediate family jumps up and down for joy at the thought of eating cabbage and so I was looking for a cunning plan, see? I am not sure it was an unqualifiable success but it was duly eaten and I think I can might get away with it a second time. The good thing is that it can be prepared in advance. Take a look …
Two cornish game hens … standard size here in Italy. They are known as “Galletti Vallespluga”. (Here is their website: http://www.vallespluga.it/)
I began by steaming the galletti for about 20 minutes.
Place in an oven casserole for the time being.
I then boiled some rice in salted water. Italian rice but this was not a risotto. Bring the water to the boil, add some salt, and pour in the rice. Cook for about 15 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
Two Italian sausages.
Carrot, celery and onion … roughly chop these ingredients for a soffritto.
Cook them in a little olive oil …
Add the skinned and mashed up sausages after a while …
Purge the soffritto with a good splodge of white wine.
Cook until the alcohol has burned off (only a couple of minutes) …
Then add the boiled rice.
Switch off heat and use a fork to mix everything up. Taste it … and add salt and pepper as necessary. Time for a bit of stuffing …
I found this all a bit too fiddly for me …
But I valiantly prevailed!
Done!
I filled the rest of the oven pan with cabbage.
I had some more of the rice mixture and so added that as well (no point wasting it).
And time now for it to cook in the oven …
The oven temperature was 180°C.
They cooked for about 50 minutes if I remember correctly.
I had a taste and wasn’t overly impressed … but it was ‘okay’. Maybe next time the dish can benefit from a bit of bacon … or even more sausage.
I cut up the birds and this is what I brought to the table … enough for four people. Maybe some dried fruits would have been a good idea.
I remedied it all with …. ssssssh … you know what!
My Home Food That's Amore 
Everything you cook, I am in love with. It is Jo’s style of Kalam Polo (cabbage rice) with Cornish game! Just love it! 😀 )))
Oh you are so sweet Fae … to be honest, I thought this was a rubbish recipe …even though, with a little work and attention to detail, something ‘good’ might come out of it next time. The reason I post recipes that are not so great is … that people who lack confidence in the kitchen should realise that nobody becomes a good cook (chef or home cook) overnight! And that accidents happen and that it takes practice. I am going to look up Kalam Polo now.
Erm… How about cooking the rice in stock (still no risotto) and stuffing large outer cabbage leaves (verza) with the rice mixture to which you have added some chopped tender inner cabbage leaves and parmigiano? 🙂 not sure how the cornish hens would fit in though
Ciao Stefan … as I commented below on FAe’s remark … I do think that that was a bit of a ‘rubbish’ recipe. Thanks for your tips, I can see where you are going and how much more taste would be imparted in the rice/cabbage combo. I have made stuffed cornish game hens with wild rice and dried apricots and marinaded the outside with soy sauce and a touch of honey … and they were jolly good. This was a sort of an experiment … and not one, I think, that I am likely to want to repeat. 🙂
Did you feel the vibes heading your way? Jo, help, I have a ton of cabbage and salads with lime and cilantro are wearing thin! What about adding caraway or perhaps curry? Also, did you use the water from cooking the chicken to cook the rice?
No … I was just ‘stoopid’ !!! Anyway … apparently there is a delicious Persian rice made with cabbage and rice…. Now, THAT does sound interesting, take a look : http://fae-magazine.com/2013/11/20/cabbage-rice-kalam-polo-%DA%A9%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%BE%D9%84/
Oh, so many things to say… First, I’ve never thought to poach chickens using a pasta insert. Brilliant! Secondly, what a fabulous recipe. I’ve made something similar that is French, so there’s cream along with the cabbage. But it still looks wonderful to me!!!
You are too kind! I am sure yours tasted much better, I wasn’t overly impressed with what I did … but, yes, the pasta pot and insert are soooo useful in so many ways!
So yummy!
Josephine, I have nominated you for 7 awards (that’s the way they come). Please take the ones you don’t have yet and and enjoy them. https://valentinadesigns.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/the-seven-wonders-of-the-blogosphere-by-valentina-cirasola-interior-designer/
Oh Valentina!!! you are so sweet! thank you so much for this …!
My pleasure.
Really a great post…i like it 🙂
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