Game Hens With Lime Garlic And Oregano Recipes

FORTY CLOVE CORNISH HENS WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut 6 garlic cloves crosswise into very thin slices. Set aside in a small bowl. In another small bowl, set aside 12 cloves. Pick leaves from 3 or 4 sprigs oregano, and set aside in a small bowl. Set aside 3 sprigs oregano. Place remaining garlic cloves and oregano, onion, celery, and bay leaves in the bottom of a medium nonstick roasting pan.
• With your finger, gently loosen the skin on the breast of the hens. Gently slide a few garlic slices and a few oregano leaves under the skin in a single layer. Place 4 garlic cloves, 1 sprig oregano, and 2 lemon wedges in the cavity of each hen; set aside remaining lemon wedges.
• Tie each hen's legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck wings under breast; place hens in pan over the garlic mixture.
• Add wine and 1/2 cup chicken stock to pan. Brush the skin with melted butter; transfer pan to oven.
• Cook, basting occasionally and adding more chicken stock to pan if dry, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when measured with a meat thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove hens from pan, and set aside on a board to rest 5 minutes before serving with reserved lemon wedges.

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.

GREEK-SPICED GAME HEN WITH CLEMENTINES, ARTICHOKES, AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle game hen with salt and pepper. Using fingers, loosen skin and rub spice blend between meat and skin.
• Slice unpeeled clementines crosswise. Arrange clementines, artichoke hearts with juices from jar, and olives in single layer in 13x9-inch metal baking pan. Place hen atop clementine mixture.
• Roast hen until golden and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Brush with pan juices. Transfer 1 hen half to each of 2 plates. Place baking pan atop burner over medium-high heat. Spoon off excess fat. Add wine to clementine mixture in baking pan. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over hen halves. Spoon clementine mixture alongside and serve.

OREGANO CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Remove bags of liver and neck from hens, rinse hens and pat dry.
• Rub skins with oil.
• Season hens inside& out with salt,pepper and oregano, set aside.
• Stuffing:.
• Make stuffing by heating butter till bubbly (do not burn).
• Add onion and celery and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in bread cubes, oregano, celery salt, pepper and water.
• Loosely stuff each hen with 1/4 of the stuffing.
• Place stuffed hens in a roastin pan and cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 and roast for another 30 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a fork.
• Place on warm serving platter.
• Sauce:.
• Skim off exces fat from juices in pan, add water and butter.
• Simmer for 2 miutes, season to taste and serve with hens.

GAME HENS WITH CARDAMOM AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Pound the cardamom pods to loosen the husks. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the seeds, releasing their flavor. Add the garlic, salt, and oregano; and continue to pound until the ingredients are well mixed.
• Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and continue to crush until you have a smooth paste.
• Rub 3/4 of the paste over the hens, making sure you cover all of their surfaces.
• Mix the remaining paste with the remaining olive oil, and pour over the birds, reserving a little bit to baste with while grilling.
• Cover and marinate for at least four and up to eight hours, turning occasionally.
• Preheat a grill to high.
• Season the birds with plenty of pepper, then place on the grill and sear being careful of flare-ups, until the skin is golden.
• Move the birds to indirect heat, and grill until completely cooked, basting with the reserved marinate during the last few minutes of cooking.

ROAST GAME HENS WITH SHERRY, GINGER AND LIME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Boil first 6 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes.
• Arrange Cornish game hens in roasting pan. Place 1 bacon slice and some rosemary into each hen cavity; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown and cooked through, basting often with Sherry mixture, about 1 hour. Transfer Cornish game hens to platter.