Sweet And Spicy Glazed Cornish Game Hens Food

SPICY MAPLE CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pat the game hens dry and place on the prepared rack. Mix the butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar with the salt and all the spices in a bowl. Rub the birds with the butter mixture, making sure it gets in all the cavities and under the skin. Reserve any unused butter for later. Sprinkle the hens with a little extra salt and paprika.
• Roast for 30 minutes, then baste with the juices at the bottom of the baking sheet, or a little of the remaining butter. Return to the oven and roast until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh (do not touch bone) registers 165 degrees F, another 15 to 30 minutes more. Remove the hens to a cutting board or serving tray to rest and remove the rack. Pour the dry sherry into the hot baking sheet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits; add a little of the stock if necessary. Transfer the sherry mixture to a small saucepan and add any remaining butter. Melt over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons chicken stock in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add the slurry and the remaining stock to the saucepan along with the remaining 1/3 cup syrup and remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve the game hens with the sweet and spicy gravy.

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.

GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. , In a small bowl, combine spreadable fruit and orange juice. Spoon some of the apricot mixture over the hens. Bake until golden brown and juices run clear, 30-35 minutes, basting several times with remaining apricot mixture. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

HERB ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and put a baking rack on top.
• Mix together the grill seasoning, dressing, and chopped herbs in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Generously rub the hens inside and out with the herb and dressing mixture. Stuff each hen with a sprig of each herb and a piece of lemon.
• In a large bowl, combine the carrots, onions and potatoes with the reserved 2 tablespoons of dressing mixture, a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Put the vegetables in a large roasting pan and arrange the hens on top. Roast them until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with foil and let the hens rest for 5 minutes before serving. Transfer the hens to a large serving tray with the roasted vegetables.

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.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SWEET VERMOUTH GARLIC GLAZE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F Pat hens dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast, cut sides down, in a large heavy shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) until just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• While hens roast, simmer vermouth, garlic, thyme, and 1/2 cup water, uncovered, in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until garlic is soft, about 15 minutes. Discard thyme.
• Mash garlic into sauce with a fork and simmer until reduced to a glaze (about 3 tablespoons).
• Brush glaze onto hens and roast 5 minutes more. Pour remaining 1/2 cup water into saucepan, swirling to dissolve any remaining glaze, and reserve.
• Transfer hens to a serving dish and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.
• Straddle baking pan over 2 burners, then add reserved liquid from saucepan and deglaze baking pan by boiling over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced slightly. Season pan juices with salt and pepper and pour over hens.

GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine spreadable fruit and orange juice. Spoon some of the apricot mixture over the hens.
• Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until golden brown and juices run clear, basting several times with remaining apricot mixture.
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

MARINATED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SWEET CHILI SAUCE

Steps:

• Marinade: thinly slice lower 6 inches of lemongrass stalks, discarding remainder of stalks.
• In a food processor or blender, finely grind together sliced lemongrass, coriander, shallot, garlic, and ginger root.
• Add brown sugar, curry, pepper, salt, fish sauce, and 1 cup of the coconut milk and puree.
• Quarter each hen and divide the hen between 2 large plastic zip lock bags and divide the marinade and seal the bags, pressing out all air.
• Put bags in a large shallow dish and marinate hens, chilled, turning bag once or twice overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and line a large shallow roasting pan with foil.
• Remove hens from the marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange hens, skin side up, in the prepared pan. Roast 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
• While hens are roasting, in a small saucepan, combine reserved marinade and remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and cook sauce at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, and strain through a sieve into another small saucepan to keep warm.
• Serve hens with the marinade sauce and/or the Sweet Chili Sauce.
• For the Sweet Chili sauce, in a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature. Sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and kept chilled, covered. Serve at room temperature though. (Yield: 1 1/2 cups).

HOISIN-ROASTED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan. Mix together garlic, ginger, and chiles in a small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over hens and under skin; stuff cavities with cilantro sprigs. Tie legs of each hen together with kitchen twine. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Remove hens from refrigerator, and brush with 1/2 cup hoisin. Roast 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally with extra hoisin. Remove from oven, and serve hot.