Braised Cornish Hen With Apricots And Dates Food

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine the salt and cayenne. Rub a third of the mixture inside hens. Brush 1 tablespoon butter over hens; sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the preserves, honey, onion, nutmeg and remaining butter. Cook and stir until preserves are melted. Brush over hens. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown and a thermometer reads 180°. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450. Using kitchen twine, tie hens legs together; tuck wing tips underneath. Rub hens with a total of 1 tablespoon oil and 3/4 teaspoon thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Place hens, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes.
• While hens are roasting, make sauce: In a large skillet with a lid, heat remaining oil over medium; add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine, and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth, cream, honey, lemon juice, and apricots; raise heat to high, and boil until mixture (including solids) is reduced to 2 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Return sauce to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package instructions. Add remaining thyme, and season with salt and pepper; fluff with a fork. Halve hens; serve with couscous and sauce.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• In large skillet, saute the mushrooms, pecans, and onion in 4 tbsp butter until tender. Stir in the rice, apricots, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
• Spoon about 3/4 cup rice mixture into each hen; tie legs together with kitchen string. Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Melt remaining butter; brush over hens.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees for hens and 165 degrees for stuffing. In a small saucepan, warm preserves and vinegar; spoon over hens. Bake 15 minutes longer.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH DRIED FRUIT AND HONEY

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. Turn almonds out onto paper towels and drain. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add game hens, 2 cups water, chopped parsley, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until game hens are cooked through, turning once, about 35 minutes. Using tongs, transfer game hen pieces to bowl.
• Degrease pan juices. Add honey, dried fruit, and raisins and simmer until fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Return hen pieces to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Rewarm game hens in sauce over medium-low heat. Transfer to large platter. Sprinkle with almonds.

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a cookie sheet generously with cooking spray.
• Combine apricot preserves, Sriracha, Worcestershire, and butter in a small pot and melt over medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent from sticking.
• Clean hens and pat dry with paper towels. Coat outsides and insides with oil. Season with mango-habanero seasoning; insert sprigs of basil inside of the hens.
• Place hens on the prepared cookie sheet and cover with foil.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and baste with apricot glaze. Put back in the oven and cook until no longer pink in the centers, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CORNISH HENS WITH APRICOTS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Melt six tablespoons of chicken fat or oil in a large pan or skillet. Sprinkle the hens with salt, pepper and one teaspoon of the cinnamon.
• In another large pan, add the remaining chicken fat or oil and the onions, and cook over low heat for five minutes or until the onions are transparent. Add the remaining three teaspoons of cinnamon and the cloves and cook for about three more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Coarsely chop half of the soaked apricots and set aside. Add about one-half cup of reserved tomato liquid to the remaining half of the soaked apricots and puree in a processor or blender. Take the pureed apricots, the chopped tomatoes, one cup of the chicken stock and add them to the onion mixture. Simmer, uncovered, for five minutes.
• Puree two cups of the onion mixture. Return to pan, add the chopped apricots, brown sugar and chicken stock and enough liquid to make a medium-thick sauce.
• In a casserole large enough to hold the meat in one layer, place half the sauce. Add the hens and cover with the remaining sauce. Bake, covered, in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until done .

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender; remove from heat. Add the bread, mushrooms and seasonings. Toss with enough chicken broth just to moisten. , Stuff hens. Tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a large shallow baking pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. , Brush with preserves. Bake, uncovered, 30-45 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear, basting every 10-15 minutes. , If using green onions, first soften them in boiling water or the microwave for a few seconds, then tie over the string used to tie the drumsticks together. Garnish platter with rosemary if desired.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CURRY APRICOT GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Rinse and dry game hen halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on foil lined baking sheet.
• Combine jam, chutney, and curry powder in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Once mixture comes to a boil brush two tablespoons over the game hens. Reserve the rest of the mixture for a sauce.
• Bake games in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden.
• Add chicken broth to the remaining mixture in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
• When ready to serve, place games hens on a plate of rice and top with lime juice, spoon sauce around the plate. Sprinkle with green onions and crushed peanuts.