Creole Cornish Game Hens Creole Chicken Recipes

CORNISH GAME HEN: SPATCHCOCK HEN

Steps:

• Preheat a panini press on high.
• Place the game hen breast side down on a cutting board. Using scissors or poultry shears, cut from the neck to the tailbone to remove the backbone. Once you remove the backbone you will be able to see the inside of the bird. Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breastbone to reveal the keel bone. Grab the bird with both hands on the ribs and open up like a book, facing down towards the cutting board. Remove the keel bone. Cut small slits in the skin of the bird behind the legs and tuck the drumsticks into them in order to hold them in place. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Spray the bottom of the panini press with the nonstick cooking spray. Place the bird, skin side up onto the press, pray the skin side with non-stick cooking spray and close the lid. Top the press with a 10-pound weight and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
• Allow to rest 3 minutes before serving.

BAKED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup melted butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano and parsley.
• Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper to taste, then stuff with equal amounts butter/vegetable mixture. Place stuffed birds in a 9x13 inch baking dish, breast side up. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and brown at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

CREOLE CORNISH GAME HENS (CREOLE CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Inject the breasts of the hens with the injection sauce (contamination prevention - always pour a portion for the current use into a separate container so that the injector needle never touches marinade that will go back into the refrigerator after it has touched raw poultry).
• Coat the inside of each hen with Bayou Magic sausage mix (this ingredient can be a bit hard to come by outside of South LA, but worth the search for those who like things spicy; great on other wild game as well).
• Sprinkle each hen with poultry magic, then sprinkle with paprika for color.
• Bake until fully cooked: 50-60 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound).

CREOLE WEDDING CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse chicken thoroughly and pat dry.
• Mix all above ingredients (EXCEPT: onions and oranges) and marinate chicken overnight.
• Arrange the onions and orange slices on top of the chicken in a covered baking dish.
• Pour marinade over chicken.
• Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a 350ºF oven or barbecue outside on the grill.

OVEN FRIED CREOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove the skin from chicken.
• Brush chicken with sour cream.
• Mix dry ingredients.
• Press chicken into this mixture.
• Place chicken on buttered baking pan.
• Spray with cooking spray.
• Bake on bottom rack, at 375* for 40 minutes.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Sprinkle the inside cavity of each game hen with salt and pepper. Insert one slice of prosciutto, two sprigs of rosemary and one crushed whole clove of garlic inside each bird. Truss the birds with string and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Pour the melted butter into a metal baking dish and turn the trussed birds in it to coat well. Arrange the birds on their backs and scatter the giblets around them. Place the baking dish on the stove and bring the butter to the sizzling point.
• Place the dish in the oven and bake 15 minutes.
• Turn the hens on their sides and bake 15 minutes longer, basting occasionally.
• Turn the hens to the opposite side and continue baking, basting occasionally, about 10 minutes longer.
• Arrange the hens on their backs and bake 5 minutes longer, basting often.
• Remove the birds to a serving dish. Pour most of the fat from the pan. Add the chicken broth, place the pan on the stove and stir to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom of the pan. Untruss the birds. Pour the sauce over the birds and serve them hot or cold.

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.