Best Pistachio Crusted Cornish Game Hens 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.

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HEN WITH MUSTARD GLAZE

Steps:

• Remove the backbone from the hen with poultry shears or a sharp knife, place the hen, skin side up, on a work surface, and press down the breastbone to flatten the hen.
• In an ovenproof skillet roast the hen, skin side up, in a preheated 450°F oven for 10 minutes.
• While the hen is roasting, in a small bowl whisk together the oil, the mustard, rosemary, the garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove the hen from the oven, spread the mustard mixture over the skin, and roast the hen for 15 minutes.
• Transfer the hen to a preheated broiler and broil it about 4 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes. Now put the mustard seed in with the mustard mixture and broil for 2-3 more minutes(this is so the mustard seeds won't burn).
• Transfer the hen to a platter and keep it warm.
• To the skillet add the wine and boil the mixture over high heat until it is reduced by half. Add the broth, boil the mixture for 1 minute, scraping up and brown bits, and add any juices that have accumulated on the platter. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve onto 2 plates. Cut the hen in half with a sharp knife, and arrange each half on top of the sauce.
• Serve and enjoy!

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.

HERB-ROASTED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over hens. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or a thermometer reads 180°.

HERB-BRINED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme, rosemary and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Place a turkey-sized oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add hens. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard brine; pat hens dry., Meanwhile, place the peppercorns and garlic in a food processor; cover and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil and herbs; cover and process until smooth. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from hens; rub half the butter mixture under skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks; tie drumsticks together. Rub remaining butter mixture over skin., In a 15x10x1-in. baking pan, toss the Brussels sprouts and onions with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Place hens, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Bake at 450° until thermometer inserted in breast reads 165°, 35-40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if hens brown too quickly., Remove hens and vegetables to a serving platter; cover and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. If desired, garnish with additional herbs.

CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the giblets from the hens, and rinse them inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outsides dry. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
• Pack the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast the hens for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix together.
• Yield: 2 servings

GARLIC & ROSEMARY CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450.
• Rinse and pat dry game hens.
• Season cavities lightly with salt& pepper.
• Cut lemon into 4 wedges.
• Place 1 wedge inside each hen along with 1 sprig of the rosemary and 1 clove peeled garlic Rub outside of hens with 1 tbl of oil.
• Season outside of hen lightly with salt& pepper.
• Place hens in pan placing peeled garlic around all.
• Roast hens for appx 25 minutes at 450.
• Reduce temp to 350 and pour wine, broth and remaining oil over hens.
• Continue to cook for about 25 minutes (or until juice from thickest part runs clear) Be sure to baste about every 10 minutes in this final cooking time.
• Remove hens from pan and pour remaining juices as well as any juices from the cavities into medium saucepan Boil juices about 6 to 8 minutes (or until desired consistency).
• Arrange hens on plates and spoon sauce and garlic over and around each, add additional rosemary as a garnish if you like.
• The 4-8 servings is that you can cut the hens in half to double the servings.
• This goes very well with a light salad and rice pilaf (and of course a glass of wine).

EASY CORNISH GAME HENS TERIYAKI

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients for the sauce and marinate the hen in the sauce for 1 hour, turning to coat.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour and baste with the marinade sauce 2-3 times while cooking.
• Cut the hen in half to serve.

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.