Pineapple Stuffed Cornish Hens Recipes

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the almonds, onion, and uncooked wild rice. Saute 5 to 10 minutes. Mix in the water, chicken bouillon cube, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 45 minutes until rice is tender and easily fluffed with a fork.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Season the Cornish game hens inside and out with salt, and stuff with the rice mixture. Place the hens breast side up on a rack in a baking pan. Brush with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover the baking pan, and cook the hens 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue cooking 1 hour, or until the hens are no longer pink and the juices run clear.

CORNISH HENS WITH APPLE-RAISIN STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and apple; cook and stir until tender. Stir in remaining stuffing ingredients. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, spread stuffing.
• Split each game hen in half. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place hen halves, skin side up, over stuffing. In 1-quart saucepan, melt jelly with 2 tablespoons butter over low heat; brush over hens.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until hens are fork-tender and until juice of hens is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F).

PINEAPPLE-STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt inside hens; set aside. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, bread cubes, celery and coconut. Add 1/3 cup butter; toss to coat. Loosely stuff hens with mixture., Tuck wings under hens; tie legs together. Place on a rack in a greased shallow roasting pan. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 1-1/2-cup baking dish; cover and set aside. Add poultry seasoning and remaining salt to remaining butter. , Spoon some butter mixture over hens. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes, basting twice with butter mixture., Add steak sauce and reserved pineapple juice to any remaining butter mixture; baste hens. Bake reserved stuffing with hens for 30 minutes, basting hens occasionally with remaining butter mixture., Uncover stuffing; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 185° for hens and 165° for stuffing in hens. Remove hens from pan; keep warm., Pour drippings into a saucepan; skim fat. Combine cornstarch, brown sugar, water and lemon juice; add to the drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with hens and stuffing.

PINEAPPLE-STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Sprinkle insides of hens with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
• In a bowl, combine the pineapple, bread cubes, celery and coconut.
• Add 6 Tablespoons butter; toss to coat.
• Loosely stuff hens; tie legs together with kitchen string.
• Place on a rack in a greased shallow roasting pan.
• Place remaining stuffing in a greased 1-1/2 cup baking dish; cover and set aside.
• Add poultry seasoning and remaining salt to remaining butter.
• Spoon some of the butter mixture over hens.
• Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, basting twice with butter mixture.
• Stir steak sauce and reserved pineapple juice into remaining butter mixture; baste hens.
• Bake reserved stuffing with hens for 30 minutes; baste hens twice.
• Uncover stuffing; baste hens with remaining butter mixture.
• Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until meat themometer reads 185 degrees for hens and 165 degrees for stuffing in hens.
• Remove hens from pan; keep warm.
• Pour drippings into a saucepan; skim fat.
• Combine cornstarch, brown sugar, water and lemon juice until smooth; add to the drippings.
• Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve sauce with hens and stuffing.

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the raisins and brandy in a small bowl. Set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the raisins to plump slightly.
• Trim the crusts from the bread and cut the slices into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cubes to a mixing bowl. Set aside. Do not turn off the oven.
• Fill a large mixing bowl with lightly salted cold water and, 1 at a time, thoroughly rinse each hen in the salted water. Place the rinsed hens under cold running water to remove excess salt. Drain well and pat dry. Set aside.
• Drain the liquid from the raisins, separately reserving both the raisins and the liquid.
• Combine the oil with 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion and 1 tablespoon of the garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the reserved soaking liquid from the raisins and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the parsley, pine nuts, and reserved raisins. Scrape the mixture into the reserved toasted bread cubes and add just enough chicken stock or broth to moisten without letting the bread cubes get soggy. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Using a large spoon, lightly push some stuffing into the cavity of each bird. (Do not pack the stuffing in tightly or it will get very soggy and may not cook properly).
• Combine the remaining butter and garlic and coat each hen with a light layer of the seasoned butter. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the hens in a roasting pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to roast for an additional 20 minutes or until the hens are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the bird and into the stuffing reads 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and serve.

GOLDEN CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Prepare rice mix according to package directions. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set aside. Stir pineapple and raisins into rice., Just before baking, loosely stuff each hen with 3/4 cup rice mixture; tie legs together with kitchen string. Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing. , In a small saucepan, bring honey and reserved pineapple juice to a boil. Remove from the heat. Baste over hens. Bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown.

ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAVORY FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Thaw hen, if frozen. Rinse hen with cold water and pat dry. For stuffing, in a small saucepan combine water and margarine or butter; cook until margarine melts. Remove from heat. Stir in croutons, fruit bits, onion, and bouillon granules.
• Spoon stuffing into body cavity. Combine mayonnaise and poultry seasoning; coat hen with mayonnaise mixture.
• Place hen, breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until drumstick moves easily in socket.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine cranberries, brown sugar, and orange juice concentrate. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until cranberry skins pop.
• Serve with cranberry sauce, if desired.

PECAN-STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Put 6 tablespoons of the butter in a mixing bowl. Put the pecan meats into the container of an electric blender or spice mill and grind until fine. Do not grind too much, or you will make a paste. Add the pecans to the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the Cognac, mustard, salt and pepper, and blend well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
• Insert the fingers underneath the skin of the breast and thighs of each hen. Make a fairly deep cavity to hold the stuffing. Spoon an equal portion of the pecan mixture beneath the skin of each hen, distributing the mixture evenly throughout the cavity. It is best if you truss the hens with string.
• Sprinkle the hens with salt and pepper. Arrange the hens breast-side-up on a baking dish. Brush each with a tablespoon of oil. Place the hens in the oven, and bake 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drain the potatoes, and cut them into very thin slices. There should be about 5 cups. Put the slices in a colander and run them under very hot tap water. Pat dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Scatter the potato slices and the necks of the hens around the birds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and continue baking 10 minutes, basting occasionally. Stir the potatoes so that they bake evenly. Turn the hens breast-side-down, and continue baking 20 minutes. Turn the hens breast-side-up and continue baking 10 minutes.
• Untruss the hens, and cut them in half lengthwise. Serve the potatoes sprinkled with parsley. Broccoli with tomatoes is a good accompaniment.