Cornish Game Hens With Sage Stuffing Recipes

CRANBERRY-STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out diced bread on a rimmed baking sheet; toastin oven, turning occasionally, until light brown and dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
• Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add leek, mushrooms, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in bread, chopped sage, parsley, mustard, thyme, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup broth.
• Spoon stuffing into bird cavities; tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub birds with butter, then sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Arrange birds on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs (avoiding bone) registers 170 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer rack with birds to a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest.
• Set roasting pan on top of stove across two burners; set heat to medium-high. Add port and remaining 1/4 cup broth; deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries; cook, stirring, until sauce reduces slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place birds on a serving platter, and drizzle sauce over them. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired, and serve.

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HEN WITH GARLIC AND SAGE

Steps:

• Make your bread stuffing with Anjou pear, baby bella mushroom and red onion first, set aside and preheat oven to 450.
• Chop 5-7 leaves of fresh sage and 6 cloves of garlic into pieces small enough to mix evenly in a food processor. you don't have to mince.
• In a food processor, add 4 tbsp. of softened unsalted butter, 2 tbsp. olive oil, juice from half a lemon and the chopped garlic and sage. Process till creamy with small flecks of sage and garlic. Set aside.
• Pat 5 Cornish game hens with paper towel, and place them in a 4 quart baking pan or pyrex. Cut about 1½ feet of baking string and tie their legs close to their body by wrapping each leg first, then securing them together with a bow.
• Fill each cavity with stuffing, but don't over-stuff. Leave most of the stuffing to serve as a side dish.
• Lift the skin of the breast and spoon in some of the garlic-sage butter. Make sure it's nicely distributed under the skin (It helps to use a spoon to separate it first).
• Roll up your sleeves and give the hens a luxurious massage with the garlic-sage butter. Make sure to cover every part of them, including between the legs and breast.
• Sprinkle them with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, making sure to evenly distribute all over the hens. Bake for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer shows 165 F (74 C) in the thickest parts, like the thigh and breast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes under tin foil before serving.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. Make stuffing according to pkg. directions. Add in apples and bacon when fluffing with fork. Set aside. Remove anything inside the hens and rinse inside with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. (Don't rub or you can have bits of paper towel left in there. Not good.) In small saucepan, melt butter on low. Add seasonings and spices. Stir well to mix. Remove from heat. When stuffing has cooled, stuff each bird. You may have a bit left over. Place in small baking dish with lid for extra helpings. ;) Place hens into metal or glass 13x9 baking pan. Tie legs together and tuck wings under. Baste hens with a little butter mixture to coat. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Baste with butter mixure every 15-20 minutes. When done, baste with any last remaining butter mixture over them. Tent with foil covering to keep warm, and let rest til serving for at least 5-10 minutes.

HERB-STUFFED ROASTED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Gently lift skin from hen breasts and place sage leaves under skin. Place lemon wedges and a third of the onions in the cavities. Tuck wings under hens; tie legs together. Place in a small greased roasting pan. , Combine butter, oil, lemon juice and garlic; spoon half of mixture over hens. Sprinkle with salt and pepper., Bake 30 minutes. Add potatoes and remaining onions to pan. Brush hens with remaining butter mixture. Bake until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175° and potatoes are tender, 40-45 minutes longer., Remove hens to a serving platter. Stir potatoes and onions to coat with pan drippings. Serve with hens.

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.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil.
• Melt the butter and stir in 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper, sage, onion, and celery. Cook until the veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes.
• Stir in the stuffing and 1/4 cup water. Stir until absorbed and cool for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle the hens with the remaining salt and pepper. Fill the cavities of the hens with the stuffing and truss.
• Roast until the meat thermometer in the thigh reads 180 degrees, about an hour and 15 minutes.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Saute the leeks for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the apples and cook for 3 minutes more. In a medium bowl combine the leek mixture with the sage, parsley, cornbread and enough broth to moisten. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff the birds with the cornbread mixture and tie the legs of each hen together with kitchen twine. Melt the remaining butter. Brush the birds all over with butter and season with salt and pepper. Put the hens on a rack in a large roasting pan, breast-side up. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170 degrees F., about 80 minutes. Set the birds aside at room temperature, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before carving. Split the hens in half through the breast with a sharp knife or poultry shears, and keep the stuffing intact. Arrange birds skin-side up, on a platter, garnish with sprigs of herbs and serve.