Roasted Cornish Hens With Dried Cherry Stuffing Recipes

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH CHORIZO CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• For the Cornish hens: The night before you plan to cook, rub the chickens all over with Aaron's Achiote Paste (underneath the skin, on the skin, inside the cavities). Let them marinate, covered, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the stuffing: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook Aaron's Chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring occasionally as it cooks, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have browned, about 10 minutes. Add the cornbread and cilantro. Gradually stir in enough of the stock so that the stuffing is not too dry but at the same time not too wet. Stir gently and well.
• Divide the stuffing equally and spoon into the cavity of each bird. Arrange the birds with plenty of space between them on a rack on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Roast the chickens until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F, about 40 minutes.
• Combine the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, achiote paste, oregano, cumin and garlic in a blender. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a smooth vinaigrette. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Put the ground beef and pork in a large bowl. Add the vinegar, salt and garlic, and mix well (your hands are the best tools for this job). Sprinkle with the oregano, canela, pepper, star anise and cloves, and mix well. Add the wine and sugar and mix well.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Put the chile powder in a small bowl, pour in the boiling water and stir well to make a paste. Let it cool to room temperature. Work the paste into the meat with your fingers until it's well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate overnight before you use it. Store in 2-ounce portions in zip-top bags in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a large skillet or saucepan, saute celery and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornbread, bread crumbs, pimientos, broth, egg, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well. , Stuff each hen with 3/4 cup stuffing. Place extra stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; refrigerate. Place hens breast side up on a rack in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375° for 45 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; add garlic, lemon zest, mint and remaining salt and pepper. Brush over hens. Bake 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing. Bake the extra stuffing, covered, for 30 minutes.

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.

TENDER STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook rice according to package directions. In a small skillet, saute celery and onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Stir in the soup, mushrooms and prepared rice., Sprinkle inside and outside of hens with salt and pepper. Stuff with rice mixture. Place on a rack in a greased shallow roasting pan; cover with foil. , Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Melt remaining butter; brush over hens. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until juices run clear and a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing.

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.

CRANBERRY APPLE STUFFED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Rinse cornish hens and pat dry. Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper on the outside and inside the cavities.
• Mix the apples, cranberries, rosemary, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl.
• Spoon the mixture into the cavities of the cornish hens.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place in a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet or appropriate sized baking dish.
• Scatter the potatoes around the cornish hens in the skillet.
• Drizzle both hens and potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and dot on top of the chicken as well as the potatoes.
• Place the skillet in the oven and roast for about 1 hour until the skin has turned golden brown and crispy, the potatoes start to shrivel and the internal temperature of the chicken is about 180 degrees.
• Remove from the oven, let rest a few minutes before carving. Serve with accumulated juices from the bottom of the skillet.

CORNISH HEN WITH TART CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sea salt, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika in a bowl. Place hens on a baking sheet and evenly brush with 5 tablespoons butter. Rub hens with spice mixture.
• Bake hens in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 1/2 hour with white wine. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Mix cherries, red wine, orange juice, and brown sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 2 tablespoons butter, and cook until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the sauce; whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle cherry sauce over cooked hens.

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH DRIED CHERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the dried cherries, sage and broth and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the cubed bread, salt and pepper and set aside.
• Season the Cornish hen halves with salt and pepper.
• Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Form the stuffing into 4 mounds on the baking sheet. Place 1/2 of a Cornish hen on top of each mound of stuffing. Roast the hens for 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
• When the hens are finished, transfer them to a serving platter and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH DRIED FRUIT AND HONEY

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. Turn almonds out onto paper towels and drain. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add game hens, 2 cups water, chopped parsley, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until game hens are cooked through, turning once, about 35 minutes. Using tongs, transfer game hen pieces to bowl.
• Degrease pan juices. Add honey, dried fruit, and raisins and simmer until fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Return hen pieces to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Rewarm game hens in sauce over medium-low heat. Transfer to large platter. Sprinkle with almonds.