Best Glazed Cornish Game Hens With Apricot Pistachio Dressing Recipes

GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT PISTACHIO DRESSING

Steps:

• Brining the hens before roasting improves their flavor: Dissolve 2 cups of kosher salt in a clean bucket filled with 5 quarts of water. Add prepared hens and soak for 2 hours. Rinse thoroughly; pat dry.
• Adjust oven rack to upper middle position, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onions until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in apricots, then spread mixture onto a large (about 18-by-12-inch) lipped cookie sheet. Lay hens over the mixture. Mix jam and vinegar, and brush all but a few tablespoons over hens.
• Bake hens, brushing 2 or 3 times with remaining jam mixture and accumulated pan juices, until hens are golden brown and juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Turn heat from bake to broil, then cook until hens are spotty brown, watching carefully so they don't burn, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer hens to a large platter with tongs, then cut in half at the breastbone to create individual servings.
• Return apricot dressing to the oven and broil to evaporate some of the excess liquid, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in pistachios and parsley. Spoon in a mound next to hens.

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine the salt and cayenne. Rub a third of the mixture inside hens. Brush 1 tablespoon butter over hens; sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the preserves, honey, onion, nutmeg and remaining butter. Cook and stir until preserves are melted. Brush over hens. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown and a thermometer reads 180°. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a cookie sheet generously with cooking spray.
• Combine apricot preserves, Sriracha, Worcestershire, and butter in a small pot and melt over medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent from sticking.
• Clean hens and pat dry with paper towels. Coat outsides and insides with oil. Season with mango-habanero seasoning; insert sprigs of basil inside of the hens.
• Place hens on the prepared cookie sheet and cover with foil.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and baste with apricot glaze. Put back in the oven and cook until no longer pink in the centers, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).