Brandy Jellied Cornish Game Hens Recipes

BRANDY JELLIED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
• Combine parsley, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of butter. Stuff half of mixture into cavity of each hen and secure legs with kitchen twine.
• Place hens in pan breast side up and rub with the other 1/4 cup butter.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine jelly and brandy and cook over low heat until the jelly melts.
• After hens have cooked 30 minutes, pour the jelly mixture over the hens and cook another 30 minutes, basting frequently.

SAVORY CORNISH HENS WITH A BRANDY CURRANT GLAZE

Steps:

• Prepare the Hens -- Just rinse them well, inside and out, drain and pat try. Then add 1/4 cup butter, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl and melt the butter in the microwave for just a few seconds. Add in the oranges and onion quarters and toss well.
• Stuffing -- Add the orange, onion, butter and herb mix to the cavity of the hens.
• Skin -- Brush each of the hens with 1/4 cup of butter (not melted) and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake -- Place each of the hens on a couple of the onions slices in a small oven proof pan. The onion slices just make a natural baking rack so they don't sit directly on the pan itself. Bake at 425 for 10 minute and then reduce to 350 for about 20-30 minutes uncovered. NOTE: One reviewer wrote they were swimming in butter, but if you bake the hens on the onions used as a rack as suggested, they are not sitting in butter. The butter flavors the inside and outside, and remember, it is for 2 nice size birds. Also, the onions will absorb most of the butter and the natural juices will end up in the sauce at the end.
• NOTE: I used around a 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 lb hen, and then can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. So just check and have your meat thermometer handy. This is one time when it really helps. I take mine out at 160, as it continues to cook once removed. The last time I cooked 4 for dinner they took 40 minutes. But just check to be sure.
• Glaze -- As the hens back, in a small measuring cup add the garlic, brandy and jelly and just heat until melted. You can also do this on the stove, but the microwave is easier, quicker and just a small cup to clean out vs another pot. Baste frequently with the glaze as the chicken cook.
• Sauce -- No I love the sauce for this but it is optional. Remove the chickens to a plate and cover with foil to let them rest. Bring the pan to the stove on medium heat and add the wine to deglaze. Get all the good dripping off the bottom of the pan. Add the broth and cook 3-4 minutes. Right before serving, just add the butter to thicken the sauce and serve with the chicken. This isn't a thick gravy, just a nice light sauce over the chicken.

CORNISH HEN WITH TART CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sea salt, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika in a bowl. Place hens on a baking sheet and evenly brush with 5 tablespoons butter. Rub hens with spice mixture.
• Bake hens in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 1/2 hour with white wine. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Mix cherries, red wine, orange juice, and brown sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 2 tablespoons butter, and cook until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the sauce; whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle cherry sauce over cooked hens.

CONTEST-WINNING ORANGE-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to at 350°. Tie legs of each hen together; turn wing tips under backs. Place on a greased rack in a roasting pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 15 minutes. Spoon over hens. Bake until a thermometer reads 170°, about 15 minutes longer.

ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APPLE JELLY GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place full thawed game hens in a shallow baking dish.
• Sprinkle liberally with poultry seasoning, then rub the seasoning onto the skin.
• Scatter onion rings and minced garlic over the birds.
• In a small saucepan, melt the apple jelly. Gently ladle the melted jelly over each hen.
• Place in the middle rack of the oven. Periodically, baste the birds with the pan juices.
• Roast 1 hour 15 minutes or until done. Let rest 5 minutes or so. Spit hens in half and arrange on platter or plates. Ladle some of the pan juices on the birds.

BRANDY-BUTTERED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH PECAN STUFFING

Steps:

• Remove the giblets from the hens, reserve for another use. Rinse hens with cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle cavity of each with salt and pepper. Secure neck skin to back with a toothpick and lift wing tips up and over back so they are tucked under hen. Lightly stuff cavity of hen with the pecan stuffing; close the cavity and secure with toothpicks. Tie leg ends to tail with a string.
• Brush hens with butter and sprinkle generously with pepper. Combine the remaining butter with the brandy.
• Place hens breast side up in a large shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F degree for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the hens. Baste every 10 minutes with brandy mixture.
• For Pecan Stuffing: Combine the apple juice, brandy, and butter in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the butter melts. Add the stuffing mix and pecans stirring lightly--- stuff Cornish hens.