Cornish Hens With Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing Recipes

CHORIZO AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring occasionally as it cooks, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have browned, about 10 minutes. Add the crumbled cornbread and cilantro and gradually pour in enough of the stock so the stuffing is not too dry but at the same time not too wet. Stir gently and well.
• Butter a small casserole dish. Spread the stuffing in an even layer. Bake until it's heated through and lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Serve right away, garnished with the cilantro and cotija, if desired.

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

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Saute the leeks for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the apples and cook for 3 minutes more. In a medium bowl combine the leek mixture with the sage, parsley, cornbread and enough broth to moisten. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff the birds with the cornbread mixture and tie the legs of each hen together with kitchen twine. Melt the remaining butter. Brush the birds all over with butter and season with salt and pepper. Put the hens on a rack in a large roasting pan, breast-side up. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170 degrees F., about 80 minutes. Set the birds aside at room temperature, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before carving. Split the hens in half through the breast with a sharp knife or poultry shears, and keep the stuffing intact. Arrange birds skin-side up, on a platter, garnish with sprigs of herbs and serve.

CORNISH HENS WITH CHORIZO CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Cook the Mexican chorizo in a dry skillet over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
• Once the chorizo is crisp, pull it out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Remove 2 tablespoons of the chorizo drippings and set that aside as well. You'll be using that to season the Cornish hens.
• In the same pan, add the carrots, onions and celery, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Saute the veggies for 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Add the garlic and rosemary, and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Combine the chorizo, veggies, cornbread, cranberries, chicken broth egg, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of chives.
• Transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish.
• Cover with foil and refrigerate while you season the Cornish hens.
• Combine the chorizo drippings, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper to create a flavorful paste.
• Spread the mixture all over the Cornish hens, both inside and out.
• Place the Cornish hens on a baking sheet lined with a rack.
• Tie the legs together with butchers twine so the Cornish hens cook evenly and keep their shape. Also, tuck the wings back so the tips don't burn while they roast.
• Roast the Cornish hens at 400°F for 20 minutes, then lower to 375°F and roast until the internal temperature reads 165°F on a meat thermometer (this should take another 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the hens).
• To get the skin nice and crisp, baste the hens every 20 minutes with chicken stock or olive oil.
• Pop your chorizo cornbread stuffing into the oven with the Cornish hens during the last 20-25 minutes of cooking, just to crisp up the edges.
• Serve the roasted Cornish hens on a bed of the chorizo cornbread stuffing, and garnish with the remaining fresh chives.

CORN-BREAD AND CHORIZO STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish.
• Crumble corn bread into 1/2-inch pieces, spreading out in 1 layer in 2 large 4-sided sheet pans. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dry, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, cook chorizo in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onions, celery, garlic, oregano, and 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add to corn bread.
• Whisk together broth and egg, then pour over stuffing and toss well. Transfer to baking dish and cover tightly with buttered foil. Bake in upper third of oven 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until top is golden, about 15 minutes more.

CORNISH HENS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400*F.
• To make stuffing:.
• Melt butter in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook over medium low heat for 8 minutes, until translucent. Remove from heat and add celery, parsley, cornbread, and chicken stock. Mix well, set aside.
• For the hens:.
• Rinse them inside and out, removing any pin feathers, and pat outsides dry. In a roasting pan that's just large enough to hold the hens loosely, toss in the onions and then place the hens on top, breast side up. Sprinkle the insides of the hens with salt and pepper and loosely fill the cavities with the stuffing. If there is any stuffing leftover, bake it in a separate pan until heated through.
• Tie the legs of each hen together and tuck the wings under the bodies. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 50-60 minutes, until skin is browned and the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Serve a whole hen per person. Enjoy!

ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Remove the giblets from the hens, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
• Prepare the marinade- combine the vegetable oil, the wine, the chopped medium onion, the garlic, half of the rosemary, the 1/2 teaspoons salt and coarsely ground black pepper and the unsalted butter.
• Place the hens in a large food storage bag and pour the marinade over them.
• Close the bag securely and refrigerate for at least three hours.
• Shake the bag occasionally to coat the hens with the marinade.
• Prepare the stuffing- in saute pan, melt the salted butter.
• Saute the 1 cup chopped onions and celery in the butter until tender.
• In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the sauteed onions and celery.
• Mix in the poultry seasoning, sage and remainder of the rosemary.
• Add the eggs and enough chicken broth to slightly moisten and barely bind the ingredients.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove the hens from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.
• Season the hens to taste inside and out with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the cavity loosely with the cornbread stuffing.
• Brush butter over the skin of the hens and place them breast side up in a roasting pan with enough space to allow room between the hens.
• Roast for 15 minutes to brown.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and baste frequently with pan drippings for 45 minutes.