Best Honey Game Hens Recipes

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.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE AND HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 2 cups sauce into medium saucepan. Reserve remaining 1 cup sauce.
• Rinse hens inside and out. Pat hens dry with paper towels. Cut and scrape off any visible fat from hens. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Place 3 onion quarters and 3 garlic cloves in cavity of each hen. Arrange hens on rack on large rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast hens 10 minutes. Baste with reserved 1 cup sauce. Continue roasting until hens are golden and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting often with pan juices and reserved 1 cup sauce, about 45 minutes longer.
• Transfer hens to cutting board; tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices to 4-cup glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top of pan juices. Pour pan juices into 2 cups sauce in saucepan. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes.
• Discard onions and garlic from hen cavities. Using poultry shears, cut hens in half lengthwise. Remove backbones. Spoon some sauce onto plates. Place hens atop sauce. Garnish with watercress. Serve with remaining sauce.

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.

HONEY ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Split hen in half. Wash and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Brush both sides with 3 Tbs butter.
• Place breast side down on a rack in a shallow pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Turn. Brush with butter and bake for 25 minutes.
• Mix honey with 1 1/2 Tbs melted butter. Brush half the mixture on the hen. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and brush with remaining honey mixture. Bake for 15 minutes longer.

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.

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.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE JUICE AND HONEY

Steps:

• To make the hens, place them on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
• Tie legs together with kitchen cord if desired.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper(and garlic powder if using).
• Combine the butter, orange juice and honey and spoon over the hens.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. and juices run clear, basting every 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile for the sauce, combine the orange juice, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan.
• Combine the cornstarch and water in a cup until smooth; stir into the orange juice mixture.
• Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve with the hens.

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.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH HONEY-MUSTARD-GARLIC-CILANTRO GLAZE

Steps:

• To make the glaze, combine the celery and mustard seeds in a spice grinder and coarsely grind.
• Combine the ground seeds in a blender with the honey, mustard oil, mustard powder, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
• Pulse on and off for about 15 seconds.
• Set aside.
• Place the hens in a large nonreactive glass dish or container.
• Add half the glaze, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Prepare a medium fire in the grill with the coals piled on one side of the grill or with only one side of a gas grill fired up.
• Place the hens skin side down on the grate opposite the heat source for indirect heat, cover the grill, and grill for 20 to 30 minute, turning frequently and brushing with the reserved glaze, until the meat is tender and cooked through and the juices run clear.
• Transfer hens to serving platter and serve.

GAME HENS WITH HONEY, VINEGAR AND SPICE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove giblets from game hens. Pat game hens dry. Tie legs of each game hen together to hold shape. Place game hens in large roasting pan. Combine olive oil, Sherry wine vinegar, honey, ground cumin, aniseed and ground cinnamon in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove glaze from heat. Brush some of glaze over game hens. Sprinkle game hens generously with salt and pepper. Roast until last drops of juices run clear when thighs are pierced, basting every 10 minutes with glaze, about 55 minutes. Transfer game hens to plates and serve.

CORNISH GAME HENS IN HONEY SAUCE

Steps:

• Season game hens in and out with salt and pepper. Roast in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining ingredients over low heat in a small saucepan.
• Baste hens with soy sauce/honey mixture and continue roasting at 350 degrees for about an hour, basting occasionally. If hens brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
• Once done, split hens and serve.

HONEY GAME HENS

Steps:

• Rinse hens, trim off excess fat, and pat dry; place in bowl.
• Put garlic and ginger in food processor and process until nearly smooth.
• In another bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, oil, orange juice, and zest. Add the garlic and ginger.
• Pour mixture over game hens, coating well. Refrigerate overnight, turning in marinade several times.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place game hens in shallow roasting pan; pour marinade on top.
• Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.
• Remove hens to serving platter.
• Pour cooking juices into small, heavy saucepan and boil for 4 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
• Pour over hens just before serving.
• Serve with sesame noodles or rice pilaf.
• These hens can also be grilled; just remember to baste often.

POM HONEY ROASTED GAME HENS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.* 2. Mix pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup honey, and remaining ingredients; pour over hens. 3. Marinate, covered, overnight or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. Turn occasionally. 4. Drain hens, reserving marinade. Simmer marinade, covered for 10 minutes; reserve. 5. Season hens with salt and pepper. 6. Bake at 450F, basting frequently with reserved marinade, until hens are just firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. 7. Prepare garnish - Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) 8. Remove from oven; let rest covered with a tea towel for 5 minutes. Brush each half with 1/2 tablespoon honey. 9. Garnish with pomegranate arils and chopped pistachios. *For 1 cup of juice, cut 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

POMEGRANATE AND HONEY ROASTED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Mix pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup honey, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, and garlic: pour over hens.
• Marinate overnight or at least 8 hours in refrigerator turning occasionally.
• Drain marinade from hens reserving the liquid.
• Simmer marinade for 10.
• Season hens with salt and pepper.
• Bake at 450 degrees F., brushing frequently with reserved marinade until meat is firm to the touch; about 20 minutes.
• Brush with honey.
• Enjoy.