Oregano Cornish Game Hens Recipes

FORTY CLOVE CORNISH HENS WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut 6 garlic cloves crosswise into very thin slices. Set aside in a small bowl. In another small bowl, set aside 12 cloves. Pick leaves from 3 or 4 sprigs oregano, and set aside in a small bowl. Set aside 3 sprigs oregano. Place remaining garlic cloves and oregano, onion, celery, and bay leaves in the bottom of a medium nonstick roasting pan.
• With your finger, gently loosen the skin on the breast of the hens. Gently slide a few garlic slices and a few oregano leaves under the skin in a single layer. Place 4 garlic cloves, 1 sprig oregano, and 2 lemon wedges in the cavity of each hen; set aside remaining lemon wedges.
• Tie each hen's legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck wings under breast; place hens in pan over the garlic mixture.
• Add wine and 1/2 cup chicken stock to pan. Brush the skin with melted butter; transfer pan to oven.
• Cook, basting occasionally and adding more chicken stock to pan if dry, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when measured with a meat thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove hens from pan, and set aside on a board to rest 5 minutes before serving with reserved lemon wedges.

GAME HENS WITH LIME, GARLIC AND OREGANO

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the juice of the 3 limes, garlic, dried oregano and olive oil. Rub all over the hens and set in the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove the hens from the refrigerator. Stuff the cavity of each with half of the fresh oregano, a lime half and half of the onion chunks. Tie the legs together with string and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast breast side up, 20 minutes. Turn breast side down and roast another 20 minutes. Then turn over again and roast 20 minutes longer (1 hour total). Serve hot.

CORNISH GAME HENS FOR TWO

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; sprinkle over hen halves. In a small skillet, cook hen halves over medium-high heat in oil until browned on both sides. Transfer to an ungreased 11x7-in. baking dish; set aside and keep warm., In the same skillet, saute green onion and garlic until tender. Stir in broth and orange juice concentrate; pour over hen halves. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until meat is tender and juices run clear. To serve, drizzle with pan juices and sprinkle with almonds and parsley.

BAKED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup melted butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano and parsley.
• Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper to taste, then stuff with equal amounts butter/vegetable mixture. Place stuffed birds in a 9x13 inch baking dish, breast side up. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and brown at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ARTICHOKES AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, snipped oregano, olive oil, garlic, snipped thyme, salt, and pepper. Add artichoke hearts and potato; toss gently to coat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer artichokes and potato to another bowl; reserve garlic mixture.
• Rinse hens; pat dry with paper towels. Tie drumsticks to the tails using 100-percent-cotton string. Tie wing tips to the breasts. Brush hens with some of the garlic mixture. Arrange hens on one side of a rack in a large roasting pan. Arrange artichoke hearts and potato on the opposite side of rack. Drizzle hens and vegetables with remaining garlic mixture.
• Place roasting pan on middle rack of oven. Roast about 50 minutes or until juices of the hens run clear (180 degrees F) and vegetables are tender.
• Arrange hens on a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to platter. If desired, garnish platter with lemon slices, oregano leaves, and thyme sprigs.
• Using kitchen shears or a long heavy knife, cut the string between drumsticks and around breasts. Carefully cut hens in half lengthwise.

OREGANO CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Remove bags of liver and neck from hens, rinse hens and pat dry.
• Rub skins with oil.
• Season hens inside& out with salt,pepper and oregano, set aside.
• Stuffing:.
• Make stuffing by heating butter till bubbly (do not burn).
• Add onion and celery and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in bread cubes, oregano, celery salt, pepper and water.
• Loosely stuff each hen with 1/4 of the stuffing.
• Place stuffed hens in a roastin pan and cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 and roast for another 30 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a fork.
• Place on warm serving platter.
• Sauce:.
• Skim off exces fat from juices in pan, add water and butter.
• Simmer for 2 miutes, season to taste and serve with hens.