Mediterranean Cornish Hens Recipes

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).

EASY CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Mix 1/3 cup lemon juice, melted margarine, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, garlic powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Pour and rub lemon juice mixture over Cornish hens. Mix 1/2 teaspoon thyme, salt, and black pepper in a bowl; sprinkle over Cornish hens.
• Pour chicken broth and 1/3 cup lemon juice into a slow cooker.
• Place about 1 tablespoon chilled margarine in the cavity of each hen; place hens in the slow cooker. Arrange the remaining margarine cubes in the chicken broth mixture.
• Cook hens in the slow cooker on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.

CORNISH HENS THE EASY WAY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Rub each hen with a lime half. Drizzle the hens with olive oil, and season with chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Place hens on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• Roast hens 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue roasting 30 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

GRILLED MEDITERRANEAN CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Mix spices in a small bowl.
• Rub all over hens and grill immediately, or cover airtight and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat barbecue grill.
• Place hens, skin side down, 4 to 6 inches above heat source.
• Grill 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, until meat is opaque near the bone and juices run clear when thigh is pierced.
• Serve with lemon wedges.
• Enjoy!

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.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH PRESERVED LEMONS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Mix onion, cliantro, ginger, garlic, saffron, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss the chicken pieces to coat in mixture.
• Brown 3-4 chicken pieces at a time in a skillet over medium-heat.
• Once all pieces are browned, return all to skillet and cover with onion mixture and water. Cook on high for 10 minutes.
• Transfer skillet to oven for another 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil olives, lemon peel and 1/4 c of the onion sauce in a small pan.
• Remove skillet from oven and remove chicken pieces from pan. Boil sauce in pan until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with olives and lemon peel.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH MADEIRA AND CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove broiler pan and put chicken stock in it.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Cut hens into halves and season with salt and pepper. Brush with butter and sprinkle with oil and place in broiler about 6 inches from heat for 35-30 minutes; turning and basting every 10 minutes.
• The hens will be done when juices run clear or yellow.
• Remove to a warm serving dish, cover with foil and keep in the turned off oven while finishing the sauce.
• Deglaze the broiler pan with the madeira wine, scraping bottom of pan with a fork to gather all sediment.
• Set pan over heat and warm and stir in cream by spoonfuls. Simmer 3 minutes and taste. Add salt and pepper.
• Use cornstarch, if you with to thicken, by diluting with 1-2 tablespoons cold water.
• Take hens out of oven and serve with the sauce drizzled over it.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CORNISH HENS WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Mix 3 tablespoons of the oil with the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub inside surfaces of hens with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, then smear them, inside and out, with the spice paste. Set aside 1 hour.
• Sauté onions in remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Stir in raisins and remaining cumin and cook until onions are lightly browned. Fold in cooked couscous and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat grill or heat oven to 375 degrees. If grilling, sear hens on the skin side over medium heat, then turn them over, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. If using oven, roast hen halves skin side up in a roasting pan until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice.
• Reheat couscous, fold in cilantro, and mound on a platter. Arrange hen halves around couscous and serve hot or warm.

SPECIAL CORNISH HEN

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 350o F.
• Mix the vegetables,wine, herbs, and oil together in a bowl.
• Chop and sweat the bacon in a cast iron skillet, add to vegetable mixture grease and all. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Stuff the hen with this mixture and sew closed tightly ( this is needed to maintain moisture in the finished product ).
• Salt and pepper the stufffed hen well.
• Place hen on rack in shallow oven proof pan*. Brush with melted butter.
• Roast for 1.5 to 2 hours, basting often, until juices run clear or instant read thermometer reads 180 o. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
• Cut hen in half lengthwise and serve with the stuffing.