Cornish Game Hens With Kumquats And Orange Liqueur Sauce Recipes

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAFFRON, OLIVES, AND LEMON CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the ginger, saffron, olive oil, onion, and garlic together. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil mixture and cook until the onions soften, about 8 minutes.
• Carefully add 2 cups of water to the mix and bring to simmer. Add the hens, skin side down into and cook for 10 minutes at a very low simmer. Remove only the hens to a baking dish, keeping the sauce warm over a low heat. Put the hens in oven and bake until it is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve on warm plate, hens first, then garnish with lemon and olives. Pour reserved sauce over hens.

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir together salt, lemon pepper, dried basil and poultry seasoning. Rub olive oil all over the hens and season each with the salt mixture. Place the hens on a baking sheet pan with plenty of space between them. You may need to use 2 pans. Loosely stuff the cavities of each hen with some green bell pepper, celery and onion. Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove the hens from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving or serving.

ORANGE GLAZED CORNISH HEN

Steps:

• Mix olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, orange zest and juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper together in a large resealable bag. Add hens, seal bag, and coat hens with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, flipping the bag 1 or 2 times to redistribute marinade.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Mix orange juice, soy sauce, honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, onion, ginger, and black pepper together in a bowl.
• Remove hens from marinade and transfer to a roasting pan, discarding leftover marinade.
• Roast hens in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Brush hens with orange glaze and roast for 5 more minutes. Flip hens, brush with more glaze, and roast until meat is no longer pink in the center, about 5 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

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.

HONEY ORANGE CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place game hen halves with skin sides up into a 9x13-inch roasting pan.
• Roast hens in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
• Stir orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and vinegar together in a small bowl; brush mixture over hens.
• Roast hens for 5 more minutes and baste again with orange juice mixture. Roast until skin is browned and meat is no longer pink inside, about 10 more minutes.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Prepare hens by rubbing mixture of salt and pepper into skin liberally.
• Place on cookie sheet, breast side up.
• Roast for 15 minutes at 500°F.
• Remove from oven and turn breast down; pour 1 1/2 cups water over hens.
• Turn oven down to 425°F and continue to cook for 1/2 hour.
• Meanwhile, use a zester to obtain orange peel without cutting into pith of fruit.
• Slice oranges in half and squeeze juice.
• Place juice in saucepan with zest and heat thoroughly (do not boil).
• Remove hens from oven and turn breast-side up and continue cooking for additional 1/2 hour (total cooking time is 1 hour 15 minutes).
• Blend cornstarch with orange juice/zest mixture and heat to thicken, stirring constantly.
• To serve: Place hen on plate and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with additional orange zest and parsley.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH KUMQUATS AND ORANGE LIQUEUR SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.
• Remove tarragon leaves from the stems; place aside. Wash and dry kumquats; slice in half and remove all seeds; place aside. Crush, dice, or press the garlic cloves; place aside. Rinse game hens with cold water and pat dry.
• Separate the skin from the game hen's breast. Push in the tarragon leaves and crushed garlic under the skin; the skin protects the leaves and garlic from burning. Place tarragon stems inside the hen's cavity, along with about 35-40 seeded kumquats.
• Place game hens on a raised rack in a roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan to prevent the juices from burning. Cook for about one and ½ hours at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste frequently and replenish the water in the pan as needed.
• Optional: Place giblets in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium heat until done, about 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool. Chop and set aside.
• Coarsely chop the remaining 10 to 15 kumquats. In a sauce pan, combine the orange juice, sugar, and kumquats. Bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir frequently and cook until done, about 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside.
• Remove the game hens from the oven after 90 minutes or when golden brown and done. Transfer the game hens to a serving platter. Remove and discard the tarragon stems. Reserve the cooked kumquats and decoratively place around the hens.
• Deglaze the roasting pan and transfer the drippings to a saucepan. Carefully add the flour to make a roué. Add chicken broth and cook over medium heat until the gravy is thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add giblets (optional).
• Combine the orange liqueur with orange juice/kumquat sauce and add to gravy. Simmer another 5 minutes. Transfer to gravy boat.
• Carve game hens and serve each portion with gravy and kumquats.

ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE-TERIYAKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk first 5 ingredients in bowl to blend for marinade. Place hens in plastic bag. Add 1 cup marinade; seal bag. Let hens marinate 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to 3 hours, turning bag occasionally. Reserve remaining marinade.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place rack on large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange hens on rack; drizzle with marinade from bag. Roast hens until cooked through and brown, basting occasionally with reserved marinade from bowl, about 1 hour.
• Transfer hens to platter. Scrape juices into pan; add broth and any remaining marinade. Bring sauce to boil. Season with salt and pepper; spoon over hens.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE AND HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 2 cups sauce into medium saucepan. Reserve remaining 1 cup sauce.
• Rinse hens inside and out. Pat hens dry with paper towels. Cut and scrape off any visible fat from hens. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Place 3 onion quarters and 3 garlic cloves in cavity of each hen. Arrange hens on rack on large rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast hens 10 minutes. Baste with reserved 1 cup sauce. Continue roasting until hens are golden and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting often with pan juices and reserved 1 cup sauce, about 45 minutes longer.
• Transfer hens to cutting board; tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices to 4-cup glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top of pan juices. Pour pan juices into 2 cups sauce in saucepan. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes.
• Discard onions and garlic from hen cavities. Using poultry shears, cut hens in half lengthwise. Remove backbones. Spoon some sauce onto plates. Place hens atop sauce. Garnish with watercress. Serve with remaining sauce.