Best Holiday Game Hens Recipes

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.

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir together salt, lemon pepper, dried basil and poultry seasoning. Rub olive oil all over the hens and season each with the salt mixture. Place the hens on a baking sheet pan with plenty of space between them. You may need to use 2 pans. Loosely stuff the cavities of each hen with some green bell pepper, celery and onion. Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove the hens from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving or serving.

HOLIDAY HARVEST CRANBERRY ORANGE CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• 1. Saute onions in 1 TB. butter until soft. Mix prepared rice, onions, apple, dried cranberries, (...or raisins, golden are nice) and poultry seasoning in a medium bowl.
• 2. Tuck wings of hens behind back. Season hens with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 cup stuffing into each hen. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Brush hens liberally with melted butter.
• 3. Place hens, breast side up, in shallow pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove hens from oven and baste with orange glaze. Return to oven and glaze again once or twice, discarding glaze after last basting.
• 4. Cook hens until an internal temperature of 170-180 degrees is reached, approximately one hour and fifteen minutes to one and one half hours, depending on the weight of the hens. Tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes and serve.
• 5. Instructions For Glaze: In small saucepan, combine orange juice, brown sugar and 2 TB. butter until sugar has melted and sauce is glossy and thickened.