Best Cherry Glazed Cornish Hens Recipes

GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. , In a small bowl, combine spreadable fruit and orange juice. Spoon some of the apricot mixture over the hens. Bake until golden brown and juices run clear, 30-35 minutes, basting several times with remaining apricot mixture. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CORNISH HEN WITH TART CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sea salt, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika in a bowl. Place hens on a baking sheet and evenly brush with 5 tablespoons butter. Rub hens with spice mixture.
• Bake hens in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 1/2 hour with white wine. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Mix cherries, red wine, orange juice, and brown sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 2 tablespoons butter, and cook until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the sauce; whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle cherry sauce over cooked hens.

GLAZED CORNISH HENS WITH POMEGRANATE-RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Mix the cinnamon, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; sprinkle all over the hens and inside the cavities. Place the hens on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, soak the grape leaves in water 1 hour.
• Bring the chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice blend and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and cumin and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; add the cooked rice, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley and cilantro; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks and stir to combine.
• Make the glaze: Bring the orange juice and pomegranate molasses to a boil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Fill the cavity of each hen with about 1/2 cup of the rice mixture (reserve the rest); tie the legs together with twine. Roast 20 minutes, then brush with the pomegranate glaze. Continue roasting, glazing every 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Rotate the hens halfway through cooking; if the skin gets too dark, cover loosely with foil.)
• Meanwhile, drain the grape leaves and pat dry. Use some of the leaves to line a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the reserved rice mixture and drizzle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover with the remaining grape leaves, shiny side up, then cover with foil. (If you aren't using grape leaves, spoon the rice into a pie dish, sprinkle with water and cover with foil.) After the hens have roasted about 20 minutes, transfer the rice to the oven and cook until heated through, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer the hens to a platter and add some parsley and cilantro sprigs and pomegranate seeds. Peel the grape leaves off the top of the rice and serve alongside the hens.

CLEMENTINE AND CRANBERRY GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, saute the shallots in the butter over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the clementine zest and juice, cranberry, brown sugar and rosemary. Simmer until thick, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Season the game hens liberally with salt and pepper. Using a basting brush, paint each bird entirely with the glaze. Cover the wing tips with foil to keep them from blackening too much.
• Place the glazed birds in an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reglaze the birds. Check after 15 more minutes; if the sugars in the glaze are turning too brown, lightly tent the Dutch oven with foil to protect the skins. Baste again after 45 more minutes, then check with an instant-read thermometer after another 5 minutes; the thighs must register at 165 degrees F, the breasts at 170. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

CONTEST-WINNING ORANGE-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to at 350°. Tie legs of each hen together; turn wing tips under backs. Place on a greased rack in a roasting pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 15 minutes. Spoon over hens. Bake until a thermometer reads 170°, about 15 minutes longer.

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH DRIED CHERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the dried cherries, sage and broth and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the cubed bread, salt and pepper and set aside.
• Season the Cornish hen halves with salt and pepper.
• Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Form the stuffing into 4 mounds on the baking sheet. Place 1/2 of a Cornish hen on top of each mound of stuffing. Roast the hens for 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
• When the hens are finished, transfer them to a serving platter and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

CHERRY-BALSAMIC CORNISH HEN WITH RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Remove and discard neck and giblets from game hen. With kitchen scissors, cut game hen in half.
• In ungreased 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish, combine rice with seasoning from package, cherries, almonds and water; mix well. Top with game hen halves, skin side up; sprinkle with garlic-pepper blend and salt.
• In small bowl, combine preserves and vinegar; mix well. Brush about half of mixture over game hen halves. Cover with foil.
• Bake covered at 375°F. for 30 minutes.
• Uncover baking dish; brush game hen halves with remaining preserves mixture. Bake uncovered an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until game hen is fork-tender and juices run clear, and rice is tender.