Best Cornish Game Hens With Dried Fruit And Honey Recipes

HONEYED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients, except the hens, in a blender. Mix until the garlic is completely pureed into it.
• Place the game hens into a seal-able container. Pour the mixture over the game hens and marinade in the fridge for a few hours, or even overnight.
• When you are ready to cook, place them onto a foil lined baking sheet. Pour the remainder of the marinade over the hens.
• Cook in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, these cook very fast when halved. Cook them to a temperature of 165 °F when a thermometer is inserted deep in the thigh,but not touching the bone.

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.

HONEY-HERB CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry hens. Cut out the backbone and split through the breastbone. Trim any excess skin or fat.
• Place oil in a shallow pan and heat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, thyme, and oregano. Season hens with salt and pepper.
• Once pan is heated, place hens skin side down and brush with half of the honey mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Flip hens and brush with remaining honey mixture. Bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Place on a platter.
• Drain drippings into a fat separator or skim as much fat as possible. Serve with hens.

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).

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS MARINATED IN HONEY AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Mix the honey, mustard, garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, thyme and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Remove the wing tips from the hens. Roll the hens in the marinade and marinate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the birds inside and out with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over each bird. Put a used lemon half in the cavity of each bird. Truss the birds.
• Set a rack in a roasting pan and brush the rack with several tablespoons vegetable oil. Place the birds, breast side down on the oiled rack. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the birds breast side up, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the hens are cooked through and the skin is brown. Allow the hens to rest 10 minutes before serving.

HONEY-ORANGE CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together salt, basil and allspice.
• Sprinkle mixture inside and outside of Cornish hens.
• Place 1/4 orange in each hen and place them in a roasting pan.
• Add water to pan.
• Over low heat, simmer together honey, butter and orange juice concentrate until thickened.
• Drizzle about half the mixture over Cornish hens and roast uncovered for about 25 minutes.
• Roast for another 25 minutes or until juices run clear and hens are not pink inside, basting with the rest of the honey-orange sauce after 10 minutes.

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a large skillet or saucepan, saute celery and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornbread, bread crumbs, pimientos, broth, egg, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well. , Stuff each hen with 3/4 cup stuffing. Place extra stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; refrigerate. Place hens breast side up on a rack in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375° for 45 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; add garlic, lemon zest, mint and remaining salt and pepper. Brush over hens. Bake 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing. Bake the extra stuffing, covered, for 30 minutes.

HONEY-LEMON-THYME CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Rinse the hens well under cool running water. Pat them dry with paper towels.
• Melt the butter with the chopped fresh thyme in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, combine the juice of 4 lemons, honey, and soy sauce. Add the melted thyme butter and mix to combine. Reserve.
• Heat a large cast iron pan on medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil.
• Generously salt and pepper the hens and lay them skin-side down in the hot pan. Sear 4 minutes each side.
• Pour 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish. Transfer the hens, and their pan drippings, to the baking dish. Pour the remaining glaze over the hens and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until a thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove the dish from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Garnish with the sliced lemon and fresh thyme sprigs, and serve.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH DRIED FRUIT AND HONEY

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. Turn almonds out onto paper towels and drain. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add game hens, 2 cups water, chopped parsley, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until game hens are cooked through, turning once, about 35 minutes. Using tongs, transfer game hen pieces to bowl.
• Degrease pan juices. Add honey, dried fruit, and raisins and simmer until fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Return hen pieces to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Rewarm game hens in sauce over medium-low heat. Transfer to large platter. Sprinkle with almonds.