Weeknight Deviled Cornish Hen Food

DEVILED BREADED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler to high. If the oven has a separate temperature control, set the oven heat to 450 degrees.
• Place the split hens on a flat surface and pound lightly with a flat mallet. Sprinkle the hens on all sides with salt and pepper to taste and the oil.
• Combine the mustard and wine in a small bowl and set aside.
• Arrange the halves neatly in one layer, skin side down, on a baking sheet and place under the broiler about three inches from the source of heat. Broil about eight or nine minutes and turn the halves.
• Return to the broiler and broil about three minutes. Remove the halves and brush the skin side with the mustard and wine mixture. Turn the halves and brush the second side with the mustard mixture. Brush with the pan drippings and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• If the oven and broiler have dual heat controls, turn off the broiler and set the oven heat to 450 degrees. Put the hens in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Serve with sauce diable.

CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the giblets from the hens, and rinse them inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outsides dry. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
• Pack the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast the hens for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix together.
• Yield: 2 servings

DEVILED CORNISH HENS WITH MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler to high.
• Place hens on a flat surface and pound them with a meat pounder or mallet. Sprinkle the hens on all sides with salt, pepper, rosemary and oil.
• Combine mustard, cumin, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and white wine in a small bowl and set aside.
• Arrange hen halves neatly in one layer, skin side down, on a baking dish and place them under the broiler about 3 inches from source of heat. Broil about 8 to 9 minutes; turn halves and broil about 3 minutes more.
• Turn off broiler and set oven heat to 450 degrees.
• Brush mustard mixture on both sides of the hens. Brush with pan drippings and sprinkle both sides with bread crumbs. Put hens in oven skin side up and bake 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and pour butter over the hens.

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Rub the hens inside and out with salt and pepper and remove any excess fat inside. Place one sprig of rosemary and one garlic clove in each cavity and truss the hens, if desired.
• Place the hens in a large metal roasting pan. Brush them with the oil. Arrange the birds on their sides. Scatter the necks, gizzards, hearts, livers and onion around the birds. Place the dish on top of the stove and heat until the oil is sizzling.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, basting occasionally.
• Turn the birds on the reverse side and cook for 15 more minutes, basting occasionally.
• Remove all the fat from the dish and add the wine and chicken broth.
• Reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Place the hens on their backs for a final 10 minutes of cooking. The simmering broth will deglaze the pan as the birds roast, making a gravy. Remove from the oven and pour the cavity juices, including the rosemary and garlic, into the pan. Remove the rosemary and the trussing string, and let the hens rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with the giblets and onions, if desired.

CORNISH GAME HENS CANZANESE

Steps:

• Season the hens with salt and pepper. Spread the lardo in the base of a large skillet set over medium heat. Add 2 of the garlic cloves, and cook, rendering the fat, until the lardo just begins to brown. Discard the garlic.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add the hens, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden. Add 2 of the rosemary sprigs, the chilies and the remaining garlic. Turn the hens and add * cup of wine. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 minutes. Remove the breast pieces and let the legs simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the salad: combine the prosciutto, arugula and currants in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to mix. Season with fleur de sel, and add more olive oil, if needed.
• Remove the lid from the skillet and discard the rosemary. Return the breasts, skin side up to the skillet and pour in the remaining wine. Boil down the juices and baste the hen parts for 1 minute. Pull the pan off the heat, add the butter and swirl to incorporate it.
• To serve, sprinkle the hens with rosemary leaves from the remaining sprig, spoon over a little sauce and accompany each piece with some salad.

DEVILED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Pat hens dry with paper towels. Place on baking sheet. Mix oil, red pepper and rosemary in bowl. Rub all over hens. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
• Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Sprinkle hens with salt. Add 3 hen halves, skin side down, to each skillet. Place 1 heavy large pot atop hens in each skillet. Place weights (such as several bricks or rocks) in each pot. Cook until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 18 minutes per side.

BROILED CORNISH HENS WITH LEMON AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler, and adjust the rack to about 4 inches from the heat source. Use a sharp, sturdy knife to split the hens through their backbones; it will cut through without too much effort. Rub the skin side with olive oil. Flatten the hens in a broiling or roasting pan, skin side down, and liberally sprinkle the exposed surfaces with salt and pepper. Slice one lemon as thinly as you can (a mandoline is best for this) and lay the slices on the birds.
• Broil for about 10 minutes, or until the lemon is browned and the birds appear cooked on top; rotate the pan if necessary. Turn the birds over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and return to the heat. Cook another 10 minutes, or until the skin is nicely browned. Meanwhile, slice the remaining lemon as thinly as possible.
• Lay the lemon slices on the skin, and broil 5 minutes. The lemons should be slightly browned and the birds cooked through; if not, cook a couple of minutes more. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, garnish with parsley and serve.