Jalapeno Brined Cornish Hens Recipes

HERB-BRINED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme, rosemary and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Place a turkey-sized oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add hens. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard brine; pat hens dry., Meanwhile, place the peppercorns and garlic in a food processor; cover and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil and herbs; cover and process until smooth. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from hens; rub half the butter mixture under skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks; tie drumsticks together. Rub remaining butter mixture over skin., In a 15x10x1-in. baking pan, toss the Brussels sprouts and onions with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Place hens, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Bake at 450° until thermometer inserted in breast reads 165°, 35-40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if hens brown too quickly., Remove hens and vegetables to a serving platter; cover and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. If desired, garnish with additional herbs.

JALAPENO BRINED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Wash the hens under cold water and remove inards____________.
• Divide the 4 cornish hens into 2 1 gallon ziplock bags.Ina large bow,add jalapenos,salt and hot water,stirring to dissolve salt in the hot water.Add 10 more cups of cold water,stirring to combine the mixture and divide brine between the two ziplock bags.Seal bags and transfer to the refrigerator to let brine at least 8 hours, the longer the better.
• Remove the cornish hens from the bags and pat dry.Bring to room temperature letting sit for 30 minutes.Heat grill to medium high heat. Place the hens on the grill indirect heat.place the hens on the grill, cook until golden brown with thighregistering internal temp of 170, about 35-45 minutes.
• For the sauce:.
• in a large pan add orange juice concentrate,rasberry preserves,chipotle and salt.Warm over high heatusing a wish to break up the rasberry preserves.Cook 1-2 minutes or until a glaze like consistency.Reduce heat to medium low and add each piece of butterone after the other as soon as it disolves wisking all the time.Cover to keep warn and remove from heat.
• Durning the last 5 minutes of cooking time, baste the hens with half of the sauce.Remove the hens from the grill,let rest 10 minutes and serve with remaining chipotle-orange sauce.