Cornish Game Hens With Apricot Fig Stuffing Recipes

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine the salt and cayenne. Rub a third of the mixture inside hens. Brush 1 tablespoon butter over hens; sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the preserves, honey, onion, nutmeg and remaining butter. Cook and stir until preserves are melted. Brush over hens. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown and a thermometer reads 180°. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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.

APRICOT STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice half the onion and place slices on baking sheet. Dice the rest of the onion for stuffing. Set aside.
• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and ginger and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons apricot jam and chicken stock. and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add bread cubes. Stir and coat bread cubes. Let cool while preparing hens.
• Wash and dry game hens. Season inside cavity with salt and pepper. Fill cavity with about 1/2 cup of the stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and use skewers to close cavity. Place breast side up on bed of onions. Season with salt and pepper.
• GLAZE: Combine softened butter and 2 tablespoons apricot jam and spread over game hens.
• Roast uncovered in a preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 170°F Remove from oven, let rest about 10 minutes. To serve, cut each hen in half and serve with stuffing.
• TIPS: Blueberry or Wildberry jam would be great with this as well.

HOLIDAY HENS WITH FIG GLAZE AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Begin by re-hydrating the figs. In a large mixing bowl add the figs, honey, lemon juice and cover with warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 25 minutes until the figs are tender and soft. Strain the figs and reserve the liquid - as this will be the base for the glaze.
• To make the stuffing, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onions with rosemary. Add the sweet Italian sausage and continue to saute until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. When done, scrape it all into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces and figs and season well with salt and pepper. Give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and set it aside while you work on the hens.
• Wash and clean the birds. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and fill with stuffing. Dot the top of each bird with butter and season with salt and pepper. Lay out on a roasting tray and pop into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. While they are roasting, set the fig liquid over medium-high heat and add balsamic and butter. Reduce until syrupy and baste the birds with 10 minutes to go. When done, an instant-read thermometer should registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Finely shred 1/4 tsp peel from the orange.
• Remove and discard the remaining peel.
• Section orange over a bowl, squeezing juice out.
• Halve sections and set aside.
• Add water to the sections to equal 3 tablespoons.
• In a small pan, cook green onion and celery in hot oil until tender but not brown.
• For stuffing, toss together peel, orange sections, onion mixture, stuffing mix and enough of the juice to moisten.
• In a large rectangular cake pan, spoon stuffing into 4 mounds.
• Rinse hens and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place hens, cavity side down over the stuffing mounds.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and roast another 20 minutes.
• Stir together honey and 1 tablespoon water. Brush over hens.
• Roast uncovered for another 15 minutes or until hens are tender.
• Use a wide spatula to transfer hens and stuffing to dinner plates.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the almonds, onion, and uncooked wild rice. Saute 5 to 10 minutes. Mix in the water, chicken bouillon cube, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 45 minutes until rice is tender and easily fluffed with a fork.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Season the Cornish game hens inside and out with salt, and stuff with the rice mixture. Place the hens breast side up on a rack in a baking pan. Brush with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover the baking pan, and cook the hens 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue cooking 1 hour, or until the hens are no longer pink and the juices run clear.

APRICOT GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• For glaze: Put 1/4 cup water, apricot preserve and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave on high about 20 seconds.
• Stir to blend.
• If not blending well, microwave another 10 seconds.
• Stir again till smooth.
• For rice: Sauté garlic, celery, onion, apricots in oil about 5 minutes.
• Add brown rice; sauté another 3 minutes.
• Add 2 cups chicken broth and 3-4 tablespoons of glaze sauce.
• Bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to a low simmer.
• Simmer covered 10-15 minutes.
• Add pilaf rice.
• Stir, cover and simmer 15-25 minutes or longer until liquid is absorbed.
• Allow to cool. (This could be done earlier in the day if you see fit).
• For Hens: Preheat oven to 400°F; line a 13 x 9 pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
• Wash hens, remove giblets and pat dry.
• Sprinkle with garlic powder in and out of hens.
• Stuff with rice mixture.
• Brush with glaze mixture.
• To prevent over browning make a foil tent.
• Crease a sheet of foil crosswise through the center to form a tent leave 1-2 inches between top of hens so heat can circulate crimp on sides.
• Bake 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and brush with glaze.
• Bake uncovered until hens are tender and juices run clear, about 40-45 minutes, basting about every 10-15 minutes until glaze is used up.
• 2-4 servings depending on appetite.

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender; remove from heat. Add the bread, mushrooms and seasonings. Toss with enough chicken broth just to moisten. , Stuff hens. Tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a large shallow baking pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. , Brush with preserves. Bake, uncovered, 30-45 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear, basting every 10-15 minutes. , If using green onions, first soften them in boiling water or the microwave for a few seconds, then tie over the string used to tie the drumsticks together. Garnish platter with rosemary if desired.