Brick Cornish Hens Recipes

CORNISH HEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone of the hen; remove backbone and discard. With a sharp knife, split the hen in half through the breast bone. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. , Grate lemon peel and place peel in a small bowl. Add parsley, steak seasoning and garlic; mix well. Loosen skin on chicken and rub seasonings under and on skin. Brush hen halves with 2 tablespoons olive oil. , Preheat oven to 400°. Heat remaining olive oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place hen halves in skillet, skin side up. Cook until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the hen halves over. Place 1-2 clean foil-wrapped bricks on top of the hen halves. Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180°.

CORNISH GAME HENS UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Garlic Oil: Gently heat garlic and oil in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, until bubbles form on top; turn heat off and add bay leaves and peppercorns.
• Steep and cool; can be kept, refrigerated, for 2 weeks.
• Cornish Hen: Cut the hen along its backbone with kitchen shears; butterfly with hands; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• In a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the flattened hen, heat the oil over medium heat; add the hen, skin side down and weight down evenly with an aluminum foil-wrapped brick.
• Cook, turning every 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through; remove hen to serving plate (s).
• Pour the wine into the skillet, add the thyme and reduce over high heat, scraping up browned bits, until thickened; pour over hen and serve immediately, drizzling with Garlic Oil if desired.

GRILLED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a large, non-reactive bowl, mix onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, pepper, celery salt, and salt. Place Cornish game hens in the bowl, coating evenly with the marinade mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook hens about 1 hour on the prepared grill, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

RUSSIAN CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Cut the hens lengthwise alongside the backbone, and open them up. Place them cut side down on a flat surface covered with plastic wrap, and arrange additional plastic wrap over the birds to cover them.
• Using a heavy flat-bottomed pan or a meat pounder, pound the birds until they are flattened to about equal thickness throughout. Sprinkle the skin side of the hens with salt, pepper and savory.
• Heat two nonstick skillets, one large enough (about 12 inches) to accommodate two hens without overlap, and a second skillet (8 to 9 inches) to accommodate the third hen. Place the hens, skin side down, in the hot skillets. Cover and cook for 3 minutes over medium to high heat, turn the birds over, and cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, wrap three bricks (each about 4 pounds) with aluminum foil.
• Turn the birds over again in the skillet so they are skin side down, and place a brick on each bird. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 20 minutes. (The skin of the birds should be well browned and crisp.)
• Remove the birds from the skillets, cut them in half, and arrange the six halves on a platter. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from each skillet, and stir half the water ( 1/4 cup) into each. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, and pour over the hen pieces. Sprinkle on the lemon juice. and serve immediately with the salad.