Joyce Goldsteins Cornish Hens With Apricots Tomatoes And Spice Food

GRILLED CORNISH HENS WITH TOMATO-ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. With kitchen scissors, cut each hen in half along backbone from tail to neck.
• Brush hen halves with basil-flavored oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Insert barbecue meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone.
• Place hen halves, skin side down, on grill rack. Cover and grill over medium heat 30 to 40 minutes, brushing occasionally with basil-flavored oil and turning once, until juice of hens is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F). Let stand loosely covered about 15 minutes before serving.
• While hens are grilling, make sauce. In 1-quart saucepan, heat all sauce ingredients except basil to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 25 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in basil. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve warm with hens.

BRAISED CORNISH HEN WITH APRICOTS AND DATES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Rehydrate the apricots by covering them with boiling water and steeping them for 10 minutes before draining and slicing into quarters. Pit and roughly chop the dates, mix them with the apricots, and set aside. Combine the sugar with all of the liquid ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, then set aside.
• Season the Cornish Hens, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place 1 bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme inside each bird and close the body cavity by tieing with twine or with a skewer or toothpicks so that the bird holds its shape.
• Brush the hens with olive oil, place them breast side down in a roasting pan, and roast for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, pour off any excess fat from the pan turn the birds breast side up and roast 20 minutes more. At the end of this 20 minute roasting period, add the apricots, dates, and the liquid to the roasting pan, and braise the contents of the pan together for another 25 minutes. Check the oven every so often to see that the liquid has not all evaporated. If it has, add enough water to keep the bottom third of the hens moist.
• At the end of the cooking time, allow the hens to rest 10 minutes before serving. Place one hen on each dish and pour some of the apricot and date sauce over the top.

HONEY-LEMON-THYME CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Rinse the hens well under cool running water. Pat them dry with paper towels.
• Melt the butter with the chopped fresh thyme in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, combine the juice of 4 lemons, honey, and soy sauce. Add the melted thyme butter and mix to combine. Reserve.
• Heat a large cast iron pan on medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil.
• Generously salt and pepper the hens and lay them skin-side down in the hot pan. Sear 4 minutes each side.
• Pour 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish. Transfer the hens, and their pan drippings, to the baking dish. Pour the remaining glaze over the hens and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until a thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove the dish from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Garnish with the sliced lemon and fresh thyme sprigs, and serve.

CLEMENTINE AND CRANBERRY GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, saute the shallots in the butter over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the clementine zest and juice, cranberry, brown sugar and rosemary. Simmer until thick, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Season the game hens liberally with salt and pepper. Using a basting brush, paint each bird entirely with the glaze. Cover the wing tips with foil to keep them from blackening too much.
• Place the glazed birds in an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reglaze the birds. Check after 15 more minutes; if the sugars in the glaze are turning too brown, lightly tent the Dutch oven with foil to protect the skins. Baste again after 45 more minutes, then check with an instant-read thermometer after another 5 minutes; the thighs must register at 165 degrees F, the breasts at 170. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

ORANGE-CRANBERRY GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Cut the hens in half with kitchen shears, removing the backbone and cutting through the middle of the breastbone. Divide the onion, oranges and rosemary sprigs between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Arrange the hens skin-side up on the baking sheets and season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, cranberries, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon coriander, the chile powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, mashing the cranberries as they start to burst, until the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped rosemary, garlic and the remaining 2 teaspoons coriander. Cook 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
• Pat the hens dry with paper towels, then brush with the flavored butter. Roast the hens until the skin is browned and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and switch to the broiler setting. Brush the hens with the orange-cranberry sauce, then broil, one baking sheet at a time, until glazed and dark brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.

APRICOT GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• heat oven to 375*F.
• in a medium bowl mix together all stuffing ingredients (except preserves, butter and wine).
• in a 1 qt saucepan melt 1/2 cup apricot preserves and 1/4 cup butter, stir into stuffing, add 2 to 3 tablespoons wine to moisten stuffing.
• stuff hens with stuffing, secure opening with toothpicks.
• tuck wing under hen, place hens breast side up in roasting pan, bake for 1 hour.
• meanwhile in same saucepan combine all sauce ingredients.
• cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until melted (2 to 3 minutes).
• brush hens with half of sauce and continue baking uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes or until hens are fork tender.
• if hens browning to quickly cover them loosely with aluminum foil.
• Serve with remaining sauce.

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.