Grilled Cornish Hens With Citrus Recipes

TUSCAN GRILLED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the Cornish hens with 1 teaspoon salt on each side.
• Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold the flattened hens. Add the hens, and turn to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
• When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on one side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the hens on the cooler side skin-side up and weigh them down with a gratin dish with a foil-wrapped brick inside.
• Cook for 12 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the hens skin-side down, weigh them down again, and cook for another 12 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the hens are cooked through.
• Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut-side down, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the Cornish hens and lemons to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the hens in half, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

GRILLED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a large, non-reactive bowl, mix onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, pepper, celery salt, and salt. Place Cornish game hens in the bowl, coating evenly with the marinade mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook hens about 1 hour on the prepared grill, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

SUNNY'S GRILLED CORNISH HENS AND VEGGIES CHEAT SHEET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven or grill for cooking on indirect heat at 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.
• Combine the baby carrots, honey, olive oil, Italian seasoning, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, lemon zest, salt, pepper and juice of 1/2 lemon in a large bowl. Toss to coat and distribute evenly around the edges of the lined baking sheet.
• Place the hens in the middle of the baking sheet. Brush each hen with olive oil all over, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and Hungarian paprika to taste. Stuff each hen with the rosemary and thyme.
• Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven or above the indirect heat of the grill. Roast until the hens reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F and the veggies are caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the grill or oven and allow the hens to rest until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Spritz with juice from the remaining lemon half before serving.

GRILLED CORNISH HENS WITH MARJORAM AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Split the hens down the back. Wipe them dry with paper towels and squeeze the juice of one of the lemons over the hens. Sprinkle them with oil and pepper and marinate for two hours or overnight.
• Preheat coals.
• Meanwhile, bring the hens to room temperature if they have been refrigerated overnight. Simmer the garlic in water to cover for 20 minutes or until tender.
• Mash the garlic into a puree with a fork. Chop the marjoram and add, with the juice of the remaining lemon, to puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Season the hens to taste with salt and grill until cooked. Cool slightly and spread with the garlic puree. Serve hot or cold.

GRILLED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, onions, parsley, ginger, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. , Rub mixture under the skin and over the top of each game hen. Sprinkle remaining salt and pepper inside the hen cavities. , Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan. , Place hens breast side up over drip pan; grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 45-60 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180° and the meat juices run clear.

GRILLED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH LEMON, SUMAC, AND DATE RELISH

Steps:

• Combine 9 cups water, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and coarse salt in large nonreactive pot. Stir until salt dissolves. Add hen halves and press to submerge. Refrigerate hens in brine, weighing down with heavy plate if needed, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
• Whisk 1/2 cup lemon juice, oil, and sumac in medium bowl. Press in garlic cloves; season with pepper. Let dressing stand 15 minutes to thicken slightly, whisking occasionally.
• Drain hens. Pat dry with paper towels; arrange on large rimmed baking sheet. Using fingertips, loosen skin of breast meat on each hen half. Brush some dressing under skin onto breast meat of each hen; place lemon slice onto breast meat and pull skin over to cover. Brush hens all over with remaining dressing. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place hens, skin side up, on grill rack. Cover and grill until bottom sides are brown, about 8 minutes. Turn hens over; grill uncovered until skin sides brown, about 6 minutes. Continue to grill until hens are cooked through, turning occasionally, about 9 minutes longer. Transfer hens to platter. Serve with Date Relish.
• *Ground, dried, reddish-purple berries that grow wild throughout the Middle East; available at specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets.

FLATTENED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GARLIC-CITRUS MARINADE

Steps:

• Prepare BBQ (Medium heat).
• Combine olive oil, chopped thyme, garlic,lemon peel, lime peel, honey, salt, and pepper in a baking dish and stir marinade to blend well.
• Place hens on work surface and cover with plastic wrap and pound gently with mallet to flatten slightly.
• Place hen halves in marinade in dish, using fingers, rub both sides of hens with marinade.
• Let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature.
• Grill hen halves until just cooked through and skin is lightly charred, brushing with remaining marinade, about 12 minutes per side.
• Arrange hen on plates and garnish lemon wedges, lime wedges, and fresh thyme sprigs.

GRILLED HERBED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Heat a gas grill to high. Using sharp kitchen scissors or poultry shears, remove the backbone of each hen by cutting on either side of it through the ribs. Turn the hens skin side up on the cutting board and press on the breastbone to flatten. Rinse each hen and pat dry. Spread the hens out flat on a large shallow baking sheet and sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper. Bend the wingtips under the breasts to protect them from burning.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a small bowl and add the garlic, a generous amount of pepper, and all but 1 teaspoons each of the thyme and rosemary. Brush the hens liberally on both sides with the seasoned oil then add more pepper.
• Grill the hens skin side down, uncovered, until the skin develops nice grill marks (rotate the birds a quarter turn after first 3 minutes to create a crosshatch pattern). Turn the hens and sear them on the second side, again uncovered, about 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle the skin side with the reserved herbs and salt, close the lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the hens are tender throughout and the skin is crisp and very golden; an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should read 180°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Put the hens on a large serving platter.
• Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the lemon juice. Serve the hens drizzled with the lemon oil.

HEATHER'S ROSEMARY CITRUS CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Bring the vegetable broth, 4 1/2 cups of water, the allspice berries, black peppercorns, and kosher salt to a boil in a large pot, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove the brine from the heat, and set aside to cool. When the brine is cool, place the Cornish hens into the brine and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the game hens from the brine, and pat dry. Discard the brine.
• Place the cut-up grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, rosemary, and thyme into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 2 minutes; with tongs, stuff the fruit and herbs into the cavities of the Cornish hens. Slather each hen with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the stuffed hens into a roasting dish, breast sides up.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). For extra-crispy skin, turn the oven heat up to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Allow the hens to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

CORNISH HENS WITH LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen. Loosen skin from breast, and place remaining thyme and the parsley underneath. Squeeze remaining lemon halves over hens. Rub butter all over hens. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Roast hens, rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with lemon wedges.

GRILLED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the oil and lemon juice until well blended. Stir in the garlic and pour the mixture into a large plastic storage bag. Add the hens. Squeeze out excess air, seal tightly, and massage to coat the meat all over. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning once or twice. Preheat the broiler. Remove the hens from the marinade and place them skin side down on a broiler tray. Position 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, and broil for 13 minutes. Turn the hens over, season with salt and pepper, and broil until the birds are cooked through and the juices run clear, about 12 minutes.