Rosemary Roast Cornish Hens Recipes

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.

ROASTED CORNISH GAME HEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Pat the hens dry with a paper towel. Use your index finger to loosen the skin on the top of the hen and slip a thin slice of butter under the skin on top of each breast. Add a few rosemary and thyme leaves (or herb of choice). Repeat for each hen. Put a quarter of a lemon in the cavity of each hen along with a clove of garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme (or herb of choice). Truss the hens by tying the wings and legs.
• Rub each hen all over with some extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place then hens on the rack of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil, spacing them out so they are as far apart from each other as possible. This will enable their skins to get browned and crispy.
• Place the hens in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.
• While the hens are roasting, combine the chicken broth and wine in a bowl.
• After the hens have been roasting for 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Pour the broth/wine mixture over the hens and continue to roast for 30 minutes, basting the hens with the juices at the bottom of the pan every 10 minutes or less. The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. If you prefer darker skins, turn up the temperature to broil for a couple more minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
• Carefully remove the hens and pour the juices from their cavities into the roasting pan. Transfer the hens to a warmed platter, remove the trussing string, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes until the liquid is a thin sauce-like consistency. Serve the hens whole per guest or cut in half lengthwise and place cavity-down on each serving plate. Drizzle the sauce over the hens and garnish with fresh herb sprigs and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat hens dry with paper towels. Season cavities lightly with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 rosemary sprig in cavity of each hen. Rub hens with 1 tablespoon oil. Season outside of hens lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange in heavy large roasting pan. Scatter garlic around hens.
• Roast hens 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Pour wine, broth and remaining 2 tablespoons oil over hens. Continue roasting until hens are golden brown and juices run clear when thigh is pierced at thickest part, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices, about 25 minutes longer.
• Transfer hens to platter, pouring any juices from cavity into roasting pan. Tent hens with foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic to heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes.
• Cut hens in half lengthwise. Arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with additional rosemary sprigs and serve.

ROSEMARY ROAST CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Remove the giblets from the hens. Rinse the hens with cold water and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place the hens in a large self-sealing food-storage bag and pour the marinade over them. Close the bag securely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Shake the bag once or twice to coat the hens evenly with the marinade. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove the hens from the plastic bag and pat dry with paper towels. Season the hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity loosely with the Cornbread Herbed Stuffing. Rub or brush butter over the skin of the hens and place the hens breast side up in a shallow roasting pan, large enough to allow space between the hens.
• Roast for 15 minutes to brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and baste frequently with pan drippings and melted butter. Continue roasting for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the flesh is pierced with a sharp knife.
• In saute pan, melt the butter. Saute the onions and celery in the butter until tender. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with onions, celery, poultry seasoning, and herbs. Add the eggs and enough chicken stock to slightly moisten and barely bind the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 9 to 10 cups;

ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Rub the hens inside and out with salt and pepper and remove any excess fat inside. Place one sprig of rosemary and one garlic clove in each cavity and truss the hens, if desired.
• Place the hens in a large metal roasting pan. Brush them with the oil. Arrange the birds on their sides. Scatter the necks, gizzards, hearts, livers and onion around the birds. Place the dish on top of the stove and heat until the oil is sizzling.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, basting occasionally.
• Turn the birds on the reverse side and cook for 15 more minutes, basting occasionally.
• Remove all the fat from the dish and add the wine and chicken broth.
• Reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Place the hens on their backs for a final 10 minutes of cooking. The simmering broth will deglaze the pan as the birds roast, making a gravy. Remove from the oven and pour the cavity juices, including the rosemary and garlic, into the pan. Remove the rosemary and the trussing string, and let the hens rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with the giblets and onions, if desired.

ROASTED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pat the hens dry with a cloth. Slice lemon in half and squeeze juice into a medium bowl. Stuff hen cavities with half lemon, 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 branch of fresh rosemary. Add honey, oil and salt and pepper to lemon juice and blend together. Baste the hens with the lemon honey sauce. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce heat and continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes basting the hens occasionally. Roast the hens until the juices run clear from the thigh. Transfer hens to cutting board and let sit for 10 minutes. Place roasting pan on stove burner and stir in white wine. Bring to a simmer and scrape brown bits from bottom of pan. Stir in chicken stock and simmer. Serve hens hot with sauce.

ROASTED GARLIC-ROSEMARY CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Mix garlic and chopped rosemary together in a small bowl.
• Rinse each hen under cold water; pat dry. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast by gently inserting fingers between skin and meat. Place about 2 teaspoons of garlic mixture under skin and spread evenly over breast meat. Place 1 rosemary sprig in body cavity. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper.
• Tie ends of legs together with cord. Lift wing tips out and tuck under hen. Place hens on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; bake for 1 hour or until juices run clear. Remove skin and cord before serving; split hens in half lengthwise.

HEATHER'S ROSEMARY CITRUS CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Bring the vegetable broth, 4 1/2 cups of water, the allspice berries, black peppercorns, and kosher salt to a boil in a large pot, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove the brine from the heat, and set aside to cool. When the brine is cool, place the Cornish hens into the brine and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the game hens from the brine, and pat dry. Discard the brine.
• Place the cut-up grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, rosemary, and thyme into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 2 minutes; with tongs, stuff the fruit and herbs into the cavities of the Cornish hens. Slather each hen with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the stuffed hens into a roasting dish, breast sides up.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). For extra-crispy skin, turn the oven heat up to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Allow the hens to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

ROAST CORNISH HENS WITH ROSEMARY, POTATOES, LEMONS & WINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the chicken or game hens liberally with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper inside and out. Sprinkle with paprika.
• Place the lemon quarters in the cavity, giving each (lemon) a little squeeze to release the oil from the skins.
• Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and toss them with the rest of the olive oil and the rosemary leaves. Spread them around the chicken in a large baking pan.
• Fold a piece of aluminum foil double into a rectangle about the size of the chicken. Grease it down the middle, making a little tent, and lay the foil loosely over the breast.
• Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, basting 2 to 3 times with the fat in the pan.
• Add the wine (it will quickly evaporate in the hot oven, leaving a lovely flavor in the potatoes), remove the foil, and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes.
• If the breast is not browned enough, turn on the broiler for a few seconds to crisp the skin, but watch carefully so as not to burn your masterpiece.
• Carve the large chicken or split the game hens and serve with the potatoes and the pan juices poured over the chicken.