Chili Roasted Game Hens With Jalapeño Orange Sauce Recipes

ROASTED HENS A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F; line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the hens in half with kitchen shears, cutting along one side of the breastbone; season with the coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hens skin-side down; cook until golden, 4 minutes. Flip; cook until slightly golden, 2 more minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet skin-side up. Bake until cooked through, 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the broth, thyme sprigs and orange zest and juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low; cook until thickened, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the orzo, shallot and chopped thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is lightly toasted, 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the orzo is al dente, 12 minutes. Fluff the orzo; stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the carrots and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the hens and the reduced sauce.

WILD GAME CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add half each of the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, 10 more minutes; set aside.
• Combine the fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce in a large pot over medium heat and crush with a potato masher. Stir in the reserved meat, the remaining onions and garlic, the bell peppers, parsley, green chile, jalapenos, habanero and New Mexico chile. Add the chili powder, ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, 2 teaspoons salt, the cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the beer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Cut the tomatoes in half and set cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tomatoes with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt; bake until darkened and wrinkled, about 1 hour.
• Crush the tomatoes with the potato masher and add to the pot; cover and simmer 2 more hours. Season with salt.

ROASTED ORANGE-HERB GAME HEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Slide fingertips under skin of hen halves to loosen. Spread 1/4 of herb mixture under skin of each hen half. Rub skin with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place hen halves in shallow roasting pan.
• Roast hen halves until golden and cooked through, adding broth after 10 minutes and basting twice throughout cooking time, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer hen halves to platter. Place roasting pan directly atop burner over medium heat. Add juice, Sherry, and remaining herb mixture; boil until reduced, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over hen halves, garnish with orange slices, and serve.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Finely grind first 7 ingredients in spice grinder or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Whisk in orange juice, oil and garlic. (Spice mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Rub spice mixture all over hens; place hens in large roasting pan. Sprinkle hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together to hold shape. Arrange carrots in pan around hens. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes. Add stock to roasting pan. Roast hens until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced and carrots are tender, basting hens occasionally with pan juices, about 35 minutes longer. Place 1 hen on each of 4 plates. Arrange carrots alongside. Spoon warm Orange-Honey Sauce over and serve.

ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE-TERIYAKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk first 5 ingredients in bowl to blend for marinade. Place hens in plastic bag. Add 1 cup marinade; seal bag. Let hens marinate 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to 3 hours, turning bag occasionally. Reserve remaining marinade.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place rack on large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange hens on rack; drizzle with marinade from bag. Roast hens until cooked through and brown, basting occasionally with reserved marinade from bowl, about 1 hour.
• Transfer hens to platter. Scrape juices into pan; add broth and any remaining marinade. Bring sauce to boil. Season with salt and pepper; spoon over hens.

JALAPENO-STUFFED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Heat a grill until hot. Season the hens with salt and pepper. Place 4 jalapeno halves in the cavity of each hen. Wrap 3 slices of bacon over the breast on each hen, securing the bacon with toothpicks that have been soaked in water. Place the hens on the grill and cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Cover the grill and cook until hens are cooked through, about 40 minutes, turning once. Remove the toothpicks, split the hens in half lengthwise, divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S CALABRIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Lay a game hen breast side-down on a work surface; use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the backbone out of the game hen, cutting through each side of the bone from top to bottom. Remove the backbone. Use a sharp knife to slice through the cartilage of the breastbone. Flip game hen breast side-up, flatten bird lightly with your hands, and twist the wing tips underneath the wings. Repeat for remaining game hen.
• Place white wine vinegar, vegetable oil, rosemary, orange juice, garlic, egg, Calabrian chili sauce, orange zest, kosher salt, and anchovy fillet into a blender. Pulse several times to combine; blend until marinade is smooth and creamy.
• Place game hens into a resealable heavy plastic bag and pour in marinade. Squeeze out air, seal bag, and refrigerate at least 4 hours but preferably 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove game hens from marinade, reserving marinade. Dry birds on paper towels. Season breast sides with salt.
• Place game hens with breast sides down onto the preheated grill and cook until skin shows browned grill marks, about 5 minutes; rotate hens 45 degrees and grill 5 more minutes to make crosshatch grill marks.
• Flip game hens onto their backs, brush with reserved marinade, and grill with the lid on for 5 minutes. Brush hens with more marinade. Repeat, cooking 5 minutes, then brushing with more marinade, until game hens are deep golden brown and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 160 degrees F, about 35 more minutes. Flip hens breast sides down, brush once more with marinade, and cook with lid closed until marinade has glazed onto chicken, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer hens to a serving platter, let rest for about 5 minutes, and serve.

JUICY CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter and stir in honey and chili powder; mixing well.
• Stir in orange juice, salt and pepper and remove from heat.
• Cut each hen into two halves.
• Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place hens in baking dish, skin side down, and place in oven for 6-8 minutes.
• Turn hens over and baste generously with all of the mixture.
• Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until well browned.