Cornish Game Hens With Pomegranate Molasses Recipes

CORNISH HENS WITH POMEGRANATE-MOLASSES GLAZE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together pomegranate molasses, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place each hen in a large resealable plastic bag. Divide marinade, sliced onions, and garlic evenly among bags. Seal bags; turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight), turning occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lower third. Set roasting racks in 2 shallow pans or on 2 rimmed baking sheets, and coat racks with cooking spray.
• Remove hens from plastic bags, letting excess marinade drip off. Place hens on racks, breasts side up, and tuck wing tips under. Fill cavity of each hen with 4 onion and 4 lemon wedges; tie legs with kitchen twine. Brush all over with butter; season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer pans to oven, and roast until hens are golden and cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours, rotating pan every 30 minutes. (If skin starts to brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.) Serve warm.

GLAZED CORNISH HENS WITH POMEGRANATE-RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Mix the cinnamon, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; sprinkle all over the hens and inside the cavities. Place the hens on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, soak the grape leaves in water 1 hour.
• Bring the chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice blend and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and cumin and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; add the cooked rice, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley and cilantro; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks and stir to combine.
• Make the glaze: Bring the orange juice and pomegranate molasses to a boil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Fill the cavity of each hen with about 1/2 cup of the rice mixture (reserve the rest); tie the legs together with twine. Roast 20 minutes, then brush with the pomegranate glaze. Continue roasting, glazing every 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Rotate the hens halfway through cooking; if the skin gets too dark, cover loosely with foil.)
• Meanwhile, drain the grape leaves and pat dry. Use some of the leaves to line a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the reserved rice mixture and drizzle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover with the remaining grape leaves, shiny side up, then cover with foil. (If you aren't using grape leaves, spoon the rice into a pie dish, sprinkle with water and cover with foil.) After the hens have roasted about 20 minutes, transfer the rice to the oven and cook until heated through, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer the hens to a platter and add some parsley and cilantro sprigs and pomegranate seeds. Peel the grape leaves off the top of the rice and serve alongside the hens.

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH POMEGRANATE-MOLASSES GLAZE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the pomegranate molasses, oil, and pepper. Place each hen in a large resealable plastic bag. Divide the marinade evenly between the bags; add the sliced onion and garlic. Seal the bags; turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, with the rack in the lower third. Line a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with a roasting rack, and coat the rack with spray; set aside.
• Remove the hens from the plastic bags, letting excess marinade drip off. Place the hens on the rack, breast side up, and tuck the wing tips under the body. Fill each cavity with 4 onion and 4 lemon wedges; tie the legs with kitchen twine. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to the oven, and roast until the hens are golden and cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours, rotating the pan every half-hour. If the skin starts to get too dark, cover loosely with foil. Remove from the oven; serve warm.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
• Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

POMEGRANATE GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 deress Season game hens with salt,pepper and thyme cook on rack for 1 hr.
• or until done.
• Brush pomegranate glaze on hens.
• Roast another 5 mins.
• Sprinkle with fresh pomegranat arils.
• Serve wigth remaining glaze as a sauce.
• Pomegranate Glaze To juice pomegranate slice in half crosswise and use a citrus juicer.
• In stainless stell sauce pan simmer juice with a pinch of salt until reduced to a syrupy glaze about 10 Mins.

DEBONED AND STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse and cook wild rice to package instructions; set aside.
• Spread cubed cornbread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring after 2 minutes; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms; cook for 3 more minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and cooked rice; cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Stir in broth.
• Add pecans and toasted bread cubes; toss lightly.
• Stuff deboned Cornish Game Hens with stuffing.
• Truss deboned Cornish Game Hens with toothpicks and long skewers.
• Roast Cornish Game Hens in oven for 1 hour or until done.
• Making the sauce -- Whisk the stock and pomegranate juice into the roux to get a smooth mix and add the mushrooms.
• Bring the sauce to a low simmering boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• Strain to remove the mushrooms, add nutmeg, season to taste and serve over the game hens.

GAME HENS WITH SUMAC, POMEGRANATE AND CARDAMOM RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season birds inside and out with salt, then tie legs together with butcher twine. In a small bowl, mix together the sumac, cinnamon and black pepper. Sprinkle spice mix evenly over exterior of birds and put a pinch in the cavities, too.
• Place seasoned birds in a roasting pan just big enough to fit and drizzle all over with pomegranate molasses. Turn birds breast-side down and add water to pan to a depth of ½ inch. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and turn birds breast-side up. Continue cooking for another 20 to 25 minutes, using a brush to baste birds with pan juices frequently, until well browned. Juices in thigh should run clear when pierced with a paring knife.
• Meanwhile, make the rice: Put rinsed basmati rice in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add cardamom, cloves, butter, currants, raisins, 2 1/2 cups water (or broth) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then put on lid and turn heat to very low. Cook rice for 15 minutes, then turn off heat. Leave covered for 10 minutes.
• To serve, fluff rice and mound on a large warmed platter. Surround rice with finished birds and give birds a last dab of the pan juices. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and pine nuts over everything and garnish with mint. Serve the pleasantly tart pan juices separately.

ROASTED POMEGRANATE-MARINATED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CIPPOLINI AND TREVISO

Steps:

• Trim excess fat in and around cavity of each hen; remove wing tips and reserve. Generously season cavity and exterior of each hen with salt and pepper. Reserving 2 tablespoons, rub hens with marinade and refrigerate, covered, for 6 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in upper 1/3 of oven. Place onions, carrots, celery, garlic, reserved wing tips and necks, thyme, and bay leaves in a large roasting pan. Position hens on top of vegetables so they are not crowded and tail ends meet in center of pan. Roast until the juices run clear in the legs when pricked with a fork, 45 to 60 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of roasting, baste hens with reserved marinade mixture.
• Remove hens from oven; let rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush cut-sides of pomegranate and treviso with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on grill pan, and cook until grill marks appear.
• Transfer some of the onions and treviso to a large serving platter. Top with hens and remaining vegetables. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons gastrique. Garnish with grilled pomegranate and treviso. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, if desired.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Finely grind first 7 ingredients in spice grinder or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Whisk in orange juice, oil and garlic. (Spice mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Rub spice mixture all over hens; place hens in large roasting pan. Sprinkle hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together to hold shape. Arrange carrots in pan around hens. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes. Add stock to roasting pan. Roast hens until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced and carrots are tender, basting hens occasionally with pan juices, about 35 minutes longer. Place 1 hen on each of 4 plates. Arrange carrots alongside. Spoon warm Orange-Honey Sauce over and serve.