Poussins Or Cornish Hens With Rosemary Orange And Shallots Recipes

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.

POUSSINS OR CORNISH HENS WITH ROSEMARY, ORANGE AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• The day before, start the stock. Roast the veal bones, chicken necks and bones, onion, garlic and carrots in the oven until well browned. Place in a stock pot with leeks, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, peppercorns, thyme, parsley and water. Simmer uncovered, for four hours, adding water if necessary (cook for a half-hour after adding extra water). Strain the stock and refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the orange in half and cut one half in four slices. Place half a slice inside each poussin; squeeze the juice from the remaining orange half over each poussin. Place some rosemary leaves inside, leaving plenty for the garnish. Sprinkle with oil, season with salt and pepper and truss.
• Place the poussins on their side in a roasting pan with the shallots. Roast for 15 minutes, turn on the other side and roast a further 15 minutes. Finish breast-up, place in a serving dish and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, remove stock from refrigerator and take off the fat, which will be solid. Put the stock in a saucepan and reduce to one-and-a-half cups. Remove the shallots from the roasting pan and keep warm. Degrease the cooking juices from the poussins and add to the stock. Reduce to one-and-a-half cups and correct seasoning. Just before serving, swirl in the butter. Place in a heated sauce boat and keep warm.
• Place the poussins on a serving dish and then arrange shallots around them and garnish liberally with sprigs of rosemary. Pass the sauce separately.

ROAST POUSSIN/CORNISH HEN AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• This is my almost regular as clockwork Saturday night supper. I find it enormously easy and relaxing to make since all I do is go downstairs, put everything in the oven, and then go back up to Saturday evening tv in bed until it's ready - and then, frankly, back again.
• If I cook the poussins/ Cornish hens in the same pan as the sweet potatoes, I cut a couple of slices of bread and put 1 underneath each bird in the tin, so as to absorb the juices and stop them from seeping into the sweet potatoes which, in turn, would prevent them from crisping and browning. But more often than not, I dispense with the bread (you can imagine how good it tastes later though) and just get 2 disposable foil roasting trays about the size of brownie tins each and put the poussins/ Cornish hens in one and the sweet potatoes in another and reuinite on the plate with a little watercress and a squirt of lime juice later. I must have English mustard with. I know it's a weakness, but not one I'm willing to renounce.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the birds into a small baking tin or foil tray pouring over 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Cut the unpeeled sweet potatoes into 2 1/2-inch cubes and put them into another smallish tin or foil tray.Pour over the other tablespoon of oil and sprinkle over the spices, and then toss everything together by shaking the tin.
• Cook both the poussins/hens and sweet potatoes in the preheated hot oven for 45 minutes.
• Put each poussin/Cornish hen on a plate, with a tangle of watercress and the sweet potatoes alongside. Sprinkle with Maldon/kosher salt, to taste, and spritz with lime juice and go to it!

CONTEST-WINNING ORANGE-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to at 350°. Tie legs of each hen together; turn wing tips under backs. Place on a greased rack in a roasting pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 15 minutes. Spoon over hens. Bake until a thermometer reads 170°, about 15 minutes longer.