Cranberry Apple Stuffed Cornish Hens Recipes

CRANBERRY-STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out diced bread on a rimmed baking sheet; toastin oven, turning occasionally, until light brown and dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
• Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add leek, mushrooms, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in bread, chopped sage, parsley, mustard, thyme, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup broth.
• Spoon stuffing into bird cavities; tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub birds with butter, then sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Arrange birds on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs (avoiding bone) registers 170 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer rack with birds to a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest.
• Set roasting pan on top of stove across two burners; set heat to medium-high. Add port and remaining 1/4 cup broth; deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries; cook, stirring, until sauce reduces slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place birds on a serving platter, and drizzle sauce over them. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired, and serve.

CRANBERRY APPLE STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Rinse cornish hens and pat dry. Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper on the outside and inside the cavities.
• Mix the apples, cranberries, rosemary, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl.
• Spoon the mixture into the cavities of the cornish hens.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place in a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet or appropriate sized baking dish.
• Scatter the potatoes around the cornish hens in the skillet.
• Drizzle both hens and potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and dot on top of the chicken as well as the potatoes.
• Place the skillet in the oven and roast for about 1 hour until the skin has turned golden brown and crispy, the potatoes start to shrivel and the internal temperature of the chicken is about 180 degrees.
• Remove from the oven, let rest a few minutes before carving. Serve with accumulated juices from the bottom of the skillet.

CORNISH HENS WITH CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut bread into 1/2-in. cubes; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes or until toasted and dry. In a bowl, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, salt and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Add 1 tablespoon butter and enough orange juice until stuffing reaches desired moistness., Loosely stuff hens; rub skin with remaining butter. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into stuffing reads 165°.

CORNISH HENS WITH APPLE-RAISIN STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and apple; cook and stir until tender. Stir in remaining stuffing ingredients. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, spread stuffing.
• Split each game hen in half. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place hen halves, skin side up, over stuffing. In 1-quart saucepan, melt jelly with 2 tablespoons butter over low heat; brush over hens.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until hens are fork-tender and until juice of hens is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F).

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Prepare the glaze: Combine cranberries and wine in saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in honey and continue to simmer 2 minutes.
• Strain glaze, stir in oil and set aside.
• Prepare the game hens and stuffing: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, add onion, celery and cranberries.
• Saute for 3 minutes.
• Add sauteed mixture to the French bread cubes.
• Let cool.
• Stir in chicken broth, parsley, sage, thyme, 1/4 Tsp.
• salt and 1/8 Tsp.
• pepper.
• Stuff game hens with the stuffing and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• Place hens in a roasting pan.
• Brush some of glaze over each game hen and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
• Place in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 45 minutes longer.
• Baste hens with glaze and sprinkle with salt and pepper (salt& pepper is optional, I didn't do it) twice more during the cooking time.
• Remove hens from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
• Cut strings and serve.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ROSEMARY AND APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• 1- Prep hens- make sure you clean them well.
• 2- Combine all of the MARINADE mixture and marinate the hens for 2 hours.
• 3- Combine all of the STUFFING ingredients- melt the butter and pour it over the croutons, add garlic, onion and rosemary add the chopped/diced apples last to the mixture before stuffing the hens.
• 3- Preheat the oven to 425- Arrange marinated hens in a large glass baking pan- prior to stuffing them make sure that you add some salt & pepper also set aside some of the marinade so that you can brush/baste a couple of times while they are cooking.
• 4- Cook for about an hour and a half checking on them every 1/2 hour ( I covered my hens with foil until the last 20 minutes because I wanted the hens to have a nice color)
• For those who like more robust flavor add additional herbs (to taste).

APPLE-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Tie legs of each hen together; tuck wings under hens. Place on a greased rack in a roasting pan. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and apple juice concentrate until smooth. Stir in the lemon slices and cinnamon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened., Spoon half of the glaze over the hens. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with remaining glaze.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Put the game hens in a shallow, flameproof baking dish without crowding. Rub the hens all over with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut the onion in half and place the halves, cut side down, around the hens. Arrange the gizzards and livers around the hens.
• Place the baking dish with hens on top of the stove over low heat. Turn the hens around in the dish to coat with the oil. Arrange the hens on their sides. Place in the oven and bake 15 minutes, basting often.
• Turn the hens to other side and continue baking 15 minutes, basting often.
• Turn the hens breast side up and continue baking about 10 minutes, basting often.
• Transfer the hens to a heated serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Skim off most of the fat from the pan liquid in the baking dish. Put the baking dish on top of the stove and bring the pan liquid to a boil. Add the wine and stir to dissolve any brown particles that may cling to the bottom of the pan. Strain the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook down to about half and add the honey, chicken broth and tomato paste. Stir. Add any liquid that has accumulated inside or around the hens. Add the cranberries and bring to a boil.
• Cook until the cranberries pop, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Swirl in the butter. Add salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the hens and serve.