Hens In The Garden 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.

CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the giblets from the hens, and rinse them inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outsides dry. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
• Pack the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast the hens for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix together.
• Yield: 2 servings

HERB-ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Place parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until finely chopped. With machine running, add olive oil.
• Loosen skin from the hens. Put 1 tablespoon of herb mixture under skin of each hen, smoothing to cover breasts. Place the birds on a large rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove hens from refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 1 hour). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place hens on a clean rimmed baking sheet (it's okay if they touch). Brush butter over surface of hens and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven, rotating pan once until golden brown and cooked through (meat thermometer should read 165 degrees when placed in the thigh), about 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before placing on individual plates. No carving necessary!

ROASTED GARLIC HENS WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place the hens in a foil lined oven pan and set aside.
• Wrap the garlic in foil, place in the preheated oven, and roast for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, stir together the rest of the hen ingredients in a small bowl.
• When the garlic is roasted, carefully unwrap it, cut it in two, and swizzle it into the butter mixture (This topping can be made up to two days in advance).
• Spoon the mixture over the hens, then cover them with foil.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours cover in a 350°F oven, then uncover and bake for 30 minutes more.
• In the last minutes begin to melt the gravy butter in a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat.
• Add the flour and and begin to stir constantly for 1 minute; add the onion and stir together.
• Let it cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the hens from the oven and onto a serving platter.
• Measure out 1/4 cup of the drippings and whisk it into the flour/butter mixture.
• Add the milk, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and turn the head to medium-high to bring it to a boil, stirring frequently.
• When it is boiling, remove it from the heat and pour over the hens.

LEMON HERB GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place hens in a roasting pan. Cut 1-1/2 lemons into six wedges. Rub a lemon wedge over each hen; place wedges in roasting pan. Peel and cut garlic cloves in half. Rub cut side of a garlic half over each hen; place in cavity with five additional garlic halves. Rub 2 tablespoons oil over each hen; sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper., In a small bowl, mix basil, rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle half over hens; place remaining herbs in cavities. Cut remaining lemons into 12 slices; place over hens. Roast 1-1/4-1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°. ,

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Transfer to a large shallow roasting pan., Brush hens with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap a bacon strip around each hen; secure with a wooden toothpick. Tie legs together. Place, breast side up, over vegetables., Bake, uncovered, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180° and vegetables are tender. Remove hens to a serving platter; serve with vegetables.

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).