Cornish Game Hens With Sage Lemon Garlic Recipes

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HEN WITH GARLIC AND SAGE

Steps:

• Make your bread stuffing with Anjou pear, baby bella mushroom and red onion first, set aside and preheat oven to 450.
• Chop 5-7 leaves of fresh sage and 6 cloves of garlic into pieces small enough to mix evenly in a food processor. you don't have to mince.
• In a food processor, add 4 tbsp. of softened unsalted butter, 2 tbsp. olive oil, juice from half a lemon and the chopped garlic and sage. Process till creamy with small flecks of sage and garlic. Set aside.
• Pat 5 Cornish game hens with paper towel, and place them in a 4 quart baking pan or pyrex. Cut about 1½ feet of baking string and tie their legs close to their body by wrapping each leg first, then securing them together with a bow.
• Fill each cavity with stuffing, but don't over-stuff. Leave most of the stuffing to serve as a side dish.
• Lift the skin of the breast and spoon in some of the garlic-sage butter. Make sure it's nicely distributed under the skin (It helps to use a spoon to separate it first).
• Roll up your sleeves and give the hens a luxurious massage with the garlic-sage butter. Make sure to cover every part of them, including between the legs and breast.
• Sprinkle them with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, making sure to evenly distribute all over the hens. Bake for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer shows 165 F (74 C) in the thickest parts, like the thigh and breast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes under tin foil before serving.

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.

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.

CORNISH HENS WITH LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen. Loosen skin from breast, and place remaining thyme and the parsley underneath. Squeeze remaining lemon halves over hens. Rub butter all over hens. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Roast hens, rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with lemon wedges.

HERB-STUFFED ROASTED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Gently lift skin from hen breasts and place sage leaves under skin. Place lemon wedges and a third of the onions in the cavities. Tuck wings under hens; tie legs together. Place in a small greased roasting pan. , Combine butter, oil, lemon juice and garlic; spoon half of mixture over hens. Sprinkle with salt and pepper., Bake 30 minutes. Add potatoes and remaining onions to pan. Brush hens with remaining butter mixture. Bake until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175° and potatoes are tender, 40-45 minutes longer., Remove hens to a serving platter. Stir potatoes and onions to coat with pan drippings. Serve with hens.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAGE AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Blend 3 Tbs of butter with the sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
• Separate breast and leg skin from hens.
• Press the mixture under the skins and spread evenly.
• Melt remaining butter and add paprika Brush this butter over the hens.
• Place hens in single layer in shallow oiled pan.
• Roast at 400 F, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Baste twice with pan drippings.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAGE, LEMON & GARLIC

Steps:

• Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 tablespoon of salt with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it forms an smooth paste. Divide this mixture into four parts. Remove the neck and any giblets from the inside of each bird, and discard. Detach neck. Gently rinse the hens with cool water and pat dry with a paper towel, including the cavity. Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the flesh along the breast and legs. Spread a quarter of the salted butter mixture under the skin and along the meat of each bird, making sure that the mixture is evenly distributed. Next, slide two sage leaves under the breast skin, one leaf on each side of the breast. Take care when you're working underneath the skin not to tear it - the skin will help keep the bird moist while cooking. Season the cavity of each bird with plenty of salt and pepper (we used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper and 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt divided among the four birds) and place a lemon quarter in each. smash each garlic quarter; place a garlic quarter inside each cavity. Allow the birds to rest for 30-45 minutes - ensure that they're not too cold helps the seasoning permeate the meat. Just before roasting, season the outside of the bird with plenty of salt and pepper. Truss the legs with butcher's twine. Place 2 racks inside 2 medium-size roasting pans. Place two birds on each rack, breast side up and roast for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 165°. Remove from the oven, and using a brush or a spoon, baste each bird with the juices from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of the minced thyme over each bird. Tent each roasting pan with foil, and let the birds rest for at least 10 minutes. Serve each bird individually, or split in half with poultry shears, removing the lemon and garlic from the inside before plating.

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.

LEMON-SAGE CORNISH GAME HENS WITH TOMATO-PORCINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup hot water and porcini mushrooms in small bowl. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to work surface. Coarsely chop mushrooms. Set mushrooms and soaking liquid aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon chopped sage and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add puréed tomatoes, broth, chopped mushrooms and soaking liquid, leaving any sediment from liquid behind. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened to sauce consistency, about 25 minutes. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat hens dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cavities with salt and pepper. Place 1 sage sprig and 1 lemon wedge in cavity of each hen. Tie legs together to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under hen. Place hens on rack in large roasting pan. Rub remaining 2 tablespoons oil over hens. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon chopped sage over breast of each hen. Roast until hens are cooked through and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 50 minutes. Transfer hens to platter. Tent with foil.
• Pour pan juices from roasting pan into 1-cup glass measuring cup, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Spoon fat off top of juices. Add pan juices to tomato sauce. Simmer 2 minutes to blend flavors. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon Soft Polenta with Leeks onto 4 plates. Spoon tomato sauce over polenta. Place hens atop polenta and serve.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GARLIC CLOVES AND ONION

Steps:

• Sprinkle the seasoning salt on the birds.
• Stuff 2 cloves in each hen. Sprinkle the rest of the cloves in the baking dish.
• Place the hens on top of the garlic. Add the onions.
• Preheat oven 350*.
• Cover with dish with foil.
• Bake 1 hour.
• Note: Uncover after 1 hour to brown the birds. About 15 to 20 minutes or so. Check.
• Mixed Sauce for Mashed Potatoes:.
• Take all cooked garlic cloves and cooked onion pieces and the drippings. Place in a blender and pulse twice.
• Add to mashed dry potatoes. Add milk, salt and pepper. Serve with margarine or butter.

LEMON HERB GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place hens in a roasting pan. Cut 1-1/2 lemons into six wedges. Rub a lemon wedge over each hen; place wedges in roasting pan. Peel and cut garlic cloves in half. Rub cut side of a garlic half over each hen; place in cavity with five additional garlic halves. Rub 2 tablespoons oil over each hen; sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper., In a small bowl, mix basil, rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle half over hens; place remaining herbs in cavities. Cut remaining lemons into 12 slices; place over hens. Roast 1-1/4-1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°. ,