Bajan Roast Game Hens Recipes

BAJAN ROAST GAME HENS

Steps:

• Prepare the "seasoning": mash the garlic, ginger, shallots, jalapeno, scallions, parsley, cilantro and thyme to a paste in a mortar or puree in a food processor. Work in the allspice, most of the lime juice, butter, salt and pepper. Correct the seasonings, add salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the game hens and blot them dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin on the hens. To do so, start at the neck of each bird and tunnel your fingers under the skin to separate the skin from the breast meat. Work carefully so as not to tear the skin.
• Spread half of the seasoning mixture under the skins of the game hens. Rub the skin to force the mixture over the thigh and drumstick meat. Spread the remaining seasoning over the breast skin of the birds.
• Roast the birds until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

ROASTED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the game hens and pat them dry. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and place a quarter lemon and a quarter onion in each cavity. Place the birds, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the white wine into the pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the juices run clear when the hen is pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and serve with the pan juices spooned over the hens.
• ROASTED GAME HENS WITH ASIAN SPICE RUB: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the game hens and pat them dry. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and place a quarter lemon and a quarter onion in each cavity. In a small bowl, combine the butter, ginger and five-spice powder. Rub the five-spice mixture onto the hens. Place the birds, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the white wine into the pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the juices run clear when the hen is pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and serve with the pan juices spooned over the hens. Yield: 6 servings
• ROASTED GAME HENS STUFFED UNDER THE SKIN WITH HERBED RICOTTA: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ricotta in a fine sieve and drain for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the drained ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk, herbs and lemon zest. Put the garlic clove through a garlic press and into the ricotta. Mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Rinse the game hens and pat them dry. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and place a quarter lemon and a quarter onion in each cavity. Loosen the skin on the breasts by sliding your fingers under the skin, being careful not to pierce it. Spoon the ricotta mixture under the skin (about 4 tablespoons of stuffing per bird.) Truss the birds. Place the birds, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the white wine into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when the hen is pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and serve with the pan juices spooned over the hens. Yield: 6 servings

ROASTED CITRUS-HERB GAME HEN

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Rinse the game hens and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, shallots, orange zest, lemon zest, thyme, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the zest mixture over the skins of the game hens. Place the remainder of the zest mixture under the skin and into the cavities of the hens. Using kitchen twine, truss the legs together. Place the hens in a shallow 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberries. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear. Remove the game hens and set aside. Place the flour in a small saucepan. Whisk in the pan juices. Bring the juices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• To serve, remove the kitchen twine and place the hens on 2 serving plates. Drizzle with the citrus-herb sauce.

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. Brush over hens. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until juices run clear.

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°.

BARBADOS ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Rub chicken all over with lemon pieces. Put lemon pieces inside chicken cavity.
• Rub chicken with salt and pepper.
• Combine butter, red pepper, garlic and coriander. Smear over the chicken.
• Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375° and roast until juices run clear, approximately 1-1 1/2 hours.

CHICKEN LITTLE (SEMI-BONELESS ROAST GAME HEN)

Steps:

• Remove wings at the point they join the body. Make cuts on either side of the breastbone, angling the blade toward the bone. Continue making the cut deeper as you pull the breast meat away from the rib cage, on either side of the wishbone, and down to the pelvic bone. This is to detach the breast meat but keep it connected to the leg.
• Remove the thigh bone by cutting on either side of it with short cuts and severing the bone from the leg bone. Being careful not to cut through the chicken skin, cut the flesh around the top of the leg bone and remove that joint where the cartilage meets the bone. The only bone remaining will be the leg bone. Optionally, remove the ends of the legs where the cartilage meets the bone.
• Place garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and butter in the bowl of a mortar. Pound with the pestle until mashed and mixed.
• Generously season the inside of the chicken halves with salt and pepper. Spread half of the seasoned butter on the meat of each chicken half.
• Tuck breast into pocket of the thigh; shape each half into a base covered completely with skin and with the leg sticking straight up.
• Cut a length of foil as long as it is wide. Fold in half, then fold over the cut-edge side about an inch. Grease with a drizzle of olive oil. Repeat for the 2nd chicken. Place each chicken half in the center of prepared foil. Bring up the sides of the long ends of foil, about 1-inch up the base of the chicken; tighten slightly around the pieces to hold the bases in shape all the way around. Wrap the remaining lengths around the base in opposite directions.
• Transfer to a plate; cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer halves to a shallow roasting pan or ovenproof skillet. Brush with olive oil or melted butter; sprinkle with a pinch or 2 of salt.
• Place in preheated oven. Roast until golden for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. and carefully remove foil from around the base of each half, pouring any accumulated juices back in the pan. Transfer to oven and roast until bases are browned and internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F, about 10 more minutes.
• Transfer pan to stove and broth or (white wine) to deglaze pan. Place chicken on serving plates.
• Drizzle with pan sauce.

HERB-ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Place parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until finely chopped. With machine running, add olive oil.
• Loosen skin from the hens. Put 1 tablespoon of herb mixture under skin of each hen, smoothing to cover breasts. Place the birds on a large rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove hens from refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 1 hour). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place hens on a clean rimmed baking sheet (it's okay if they touch). Brush butter over surface of hens and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven, rotating pan once until golden brown and cooked through (meat thermometer should read 165 degrees when placed in the thigh), about 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before placing on individual plates. No carving necessary!