In a 2-quart saucepan, combine rice, chicken broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 450°F with rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat lightly with oil spray. Place a wire rack on the baking sheet and reserve until needed.

Add the bacon to a skillet set over medium heat and cook until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and discard any excess.

Add the shallots, mushrooms and celery to the 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the bacon and the cooked vegetables to the bowl of rice along with the pine nuts, figs, cumin, sage and rosemary. Whisk the egg lightly and stir into the rice mixture, combining well. Adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Pat each game hen dry with paper towels and sprinkle the body cavity lightly with salt. Fill the cavity of each game hen with equal amounts of stuffing, do not pack the stuffing as it will expand during roasting. If any stuffing remains add to an oiled baking dish, cover and bake during the last 20 minutes of the game hens’ baking time. 

Using kitchen twine, truss hens by tying the legs together tightly, looping each side of the string around a wing, and bringing the string all the way around the bird tightly to hold the legs together and the wings close to the body.

Brush the hens with the melted butter, season with salt and pepper. Dust the hens lightly with paprika and place breast side down on the prepared wire rack/baking sheet. Brush the back side with butter, season with salt and pepper and dust with paprika. Roast breast side down for 15 minutes to lightly brown.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

Transfer the pan of game hens to the countertop and flip them over, breast side up and spoon some of the wine/butter over each one. Return the game hens to the lowered temperature oven and continue to roast, basting with the wine/butter every 10-15 minutes for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Or, until the hens are dark golden brown and the juices run clear when pierced at the thigh. If using an instant-read thermometer it should read 165°F at the thick part of the thigh. 

Transfer the stuffed game hens to a serving platter and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes while preparing the sauce.

Place roasting pan on the stove over medium-low heat and deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock, scraping loose the grubby bits from the pan. Carefully pour the mixture into a small skillet. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth and the white wine. Cook until the alcohol from the wine burns off and the sauce has reduced slightly. About 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Transfer the sauce to a pitcher or dish and serve with the game hens.

Place one game hen on each of 4 plates. Pass the pitcher of sauce to be poured over hens and garnish with fresh sage bunches and rosemary sprigs.