Cornish Hens With Roasted Garlic Aïoli Recipes

GARLICKY SMOTHERED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare the hens: In a mini food processor, pulse the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to a paste. Using your fingers, make a pocket between the flesh and the skin of each Cornish hen. Stuff half the garlic paste between the skin and the flesh of the hens, evenly covering by pushing the paste along the flesh from the outside. Rub both hens all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a grind of pepper. Cross the legs of each hen and tie together with kitchen string. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature for about an hour.
• In a baking dish large enough to hold both hens, mix together the remaining garlic paste, the bell pepper, onions, cayenne pepper, paprika, a pinch of salt and a grind or 2 of pepper.
• Place the prepared hens on top of the vegetables in the pan and slowly pour in 2 cups chicken stock. Place in the oven and cook until the temperature reaches 160 degrees F between the leg and the body of the hen when tested with an instant-read thermometer, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the hens from oven and remove from the pan to a plate. Cover lightly with aluminum foil to keep them warm while making the gravy. In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables from the baking dish and the flour. Whisk the flour briskly until it is combined with all the pan contents. Add the wine and let reduce. Take a sip of wine for yourself; you've worked hard. Stir in the remaining 1 cup chicken stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and then cook until the sauce has thickened to a gravy consistency, about 5 more minutes. To serve, remove the aluminum foil from the hens. Remove the string and cut in the birds in half. Pour the gravy over the top and garnish with chopped parsley.

CORNISH HENS WITH ROASTED-GARLIC AïOLI

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F.
• Trim off and discard about 1/4 inch from top of garlic heads to expose cloves, then put heads on a sheet of foil. Spoon oil over garlic, then wrap up foil tightly to enclose. Roast garlic on oven rack until very soft, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, season hens inside and out with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Tie legs together with string and tuck wing tips under. Transfer to roasting pan and roast alongside garlic until hens are golden brown and thermometer registers 170°F when inserted into leg joint, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes.
• Unwrap garlic carefully and cool slightly, then squeeze pulp into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients (including salt and pepper plus 2 tablespoons pan juices from hens if desired) and stir until combined well.
• Halve hens lengthwise. Serve with aioli.

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Trim off the top of the head of garlic to expose cloves. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on top. Wrap in aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until garlic feels soft when lightly pressed, about 1 hour. Unwrap and cool, 5 to 10 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Pull out individual garlic cloves with a sharp knife; place in a small bowl. Mash with a fork until creamy. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne; mix well until blended.
• Refrigerate until flavors combine, at least 1 hour.

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.

GARAM MASALA CORNISH HENS WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 tablespoon of butter, 4 teaspoons of garam masala, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger, 6 cloves of garlic, and 1 teaspoons of salt. Place hens in a large baking dish or plastic bag, loosen the skin from the breast and legs and, using your hands, spread a good part of the mixture underneath. Rub the remaining marinade inside the hen's cavity and over the skin. Loosely cover, refrigerate, and let marinate 30 min or up to 12 hours.
• Remove hens from marinade and left any excess drip off. Let hens sit at room temp while oven warms up, about 30 minutes. Place probe thermometer into thickest portion of the thigh making sure not to hit bone.
• Arrange the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Combine remaining 3/4 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (more or less to taste) in a large bowl. Place cut vegetables in it and toss until the vegetables are well coated. Season veggies with freshly ground black pepper (to taste) Place at bottom of large roasting pan which has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
• Place hens breast side up on top of vegetables and bake for 15 min at 425 degrees F. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. When internal temperature hits 145 degrees F, brush yogurt on hens. Make sure to just do a thin and light coating of yogurt. You don't want it to be very thick. When internal temperature hits 160 remove from oven and loosely cover with foil. This is also the time to check the vegetables in the pan and make sure that they're done to your liking. If you'd like them softer, simply put the vegetables back in the oven while the hens are resting.
• Let hens rest, covered, for 15 minutes which also insures that carryover cooking will take the temp up to above 165 degrees F, for example mine ended up at 166.4 degrees F which was perfect. If you're uncomfortable with this doneness, go ahead and roast until 165 degrees (which is the temperature which poultry must be at to be done and safe) and then let hens rest covered, for 15 minute After hens have rested cut each one in half, through the breast and backbone (I just use a big sharp knife or you could use poultry shears) so that each person gets a half a hen. Divide the vegetables among the four plates and serve with a simple green salad or some rice to round out the meal.

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Rub the hens inside and out with salt and pepper and remove any excess fat inside. Place one sprig of rosemary and one garlic clove in each cavity and truss the hens, if desired.
• Place the hens in a large metal roasting pan. Brush them with the oil. Arrange the birds on their sides. Scatter the necks, gizzards, hearts, livers and onion around the birds. Place the dish on top of the stove and heat until the oil is sizzling.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, basting occasionally.
• Turn the birds on the reverse side and cook for 15 more minutes, basting occasionally.
• Remove all the fat from the dish and add the wine and chicken broth.
• Reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Place the hens on their backs for a final 10 minutes of cooking. The simmering broth will deglaze the pan as the birds roast, making a gravy. Remove from the oven and pour the cavity juices, including the rosemary and garlic, into the pan. Remove the rosemary and the trussing string, and let the hens rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with the giblets and onions, if desired.

ROASTED GARLIC-ROSEMARY CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Mix garlic and chopped rosemary together in a small bowl.
• Rinse each hen under cold water; pat dry. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast by gently inserting fingers between skin and meat. Place about 2 teaspoons of garlic mixture under skin and spread evenly over breast meat. Place 1 rosemary sprig in body cavity. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper.
• Tie ends of legs together with cord. Lift wing tips out and tuck under hen. Place hens on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; bake for 1 hour or until juices run clear. Remove skin and cord before serving; split hens in half lengthwise.