Best Roasted Cornish Game Hens With Pesto And Goat Cheese Recipes

HERB ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and put a baking rack on top.
• Mix together the grill seasoning, dressing, and chopped herbs in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Generously rub the hens inside and out with the herb and dressing mixture. Stuff each hen with a sprig of each herb and a piece of lemon.
• In a large bowl, combine the carrots, onions and potatoes with the reserved 2 tablespoons of dressing mixture, a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Put the vegetables in a large roasting pan and arrange the hens on top. Roast them until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with foil and let the hens rest for 5 minutes before serving. Transfer the hens to a large serving tray with the roasted vegetables.

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.

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Make the pumpkin seed pesto: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil, the pepitas, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a large pinch of paprika in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the seeds begin popping and some turn brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer the seeds and oil to a food processor; add 1/2 cup water, the parsley, scallions, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until pureed. Remove about 3 tablespoons of the pesto for the hens and set aside the rest for serving.
• Slide your fingers under the breast skin of each hen to loosen. Slide 2 heaping teaspoons of the pesto under the skin of each hen, then rub the skin to distribute the pesto.
• Mash the garlic and 2 teaspoons salt with the flat side of a chef's knife to make a paste. Combine with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon paprika in a bowl, then rub all over the hens. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Put the hens on a rack in a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Roast, rotating the pan halfway through, until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 1 hour. Let rest 15 minutes, then cut each hen in half. Serve with the reserved pesto.

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Arrange a large wire rack over a large rimmed baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the pesto and goat cheese, mashing it with a fork until evenly mixed.
• Place a game hen, breast-side down, on a cutting board. Remove backbone by cutting along both sides with poultry shears. Flip the hen over and flatten it by pressing down on the breast bone with your palms. Using a chef's knife, split the hen in two along the breastbone. Extend the wings on each side, and chop off the last two joints. Remove and discard any large deposits of fat. Repeat with remaining hens.
• With your fingers, loosen the skin over the breast and leg. Insert a heaping tablespoon of the pesto mixture under the skin and work it so it evenly covers the breast and leg meat. Smooth the skin back to its original position and repeat with remaining hens. Can refrigerate hens for 2 hours if desired.
• Arrange hens on the large wire rack. Do not overlap. Brush the surface of the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast hens, rotating pan about halfway through, until their nicely browned and juices run clear when a thigh is pricked with a skewer or toothpick (about 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.