Game hens

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aeyla

Assistant Cook
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Messages
20
Location
g-vill Florida
I am looking for the best game hen recipes. I purchased two and I was going to do the Sandra Lee recipe but I would like to see if there are other options. This will be my first time makeing them so I am a bit nervous hehe (yeah I am a newb):ermm:
Your help would be much apreciated...
Jo
 
If yu have a covered kettle barbecue, that is the absolutely best way to cook the game hens IMHO. If not, I will also give a great oven recipe.

On the Grill:

Place two piles of charcoal on opposite sides of the grill with a four inch space seperating the piles. Light the charcoal. Leave the cooking grate off.

Stuffing: You will need to have two cups total of mixed brown and wild rice pre-cooked, and mixed with saute'd onion and mushrooms. The rice should be cooked in chicken broth for maximum flavor, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and sage to taste.

Remove the giblets and place in a pot of water to simmer. Cover the pot to reduce evaporation. You will thicken this broth after 30 minutes of cooking with a slurry of 1 tbs. corstarch and 1 tbs. water, mixed together until smooth. Add the slurry to the broth after removing the giblets and season with salt, pepper, and thyme to taste.

Dry the birds with a paper towel. Coat the outside with your favorite olive oil and shake salt sparingly over the skin, top, bottom, and sides. Fill the cavities looseely with the dressing. Bind the wings and legs to the bird body with butcher's twine or clean cotton string.

Make a drip pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, or use a disposable loaf pan. Place the pan between the charcoal piles and fill with one cup of water. Place the cooking grate on the kettle.

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast until it almost touches the thigh-joint. Do not let it touch the bone. Place the game hens over the drip pan and cover. Adjust all vents to the half-closed position, top and bottom. Grill for about 12 minutes per lb. Then check the birds. Remove when the thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Oven Method:

Preheat the oven to 450' F.
Again remove giblets and place in a pot of boiling water. Use the resultant broth to make gravy.

Wipe the hens dry with a paper towel. Loosely fill the cavity with sliced onion, sliced carrot, Sliced celery that have been mixed in a bowl and seasoned with salt, pepper, Sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger.

Rub a tbs. of sesame oil over the outer skin of the bird. Gently season with salt and pepper.

You can replace the sesame oil with extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil (neutral flavor), or truffle oil for a more luxurious flavor.

Place the hens in a shallow roasting pan and roast uncovered for about 13 minutes per pound. Again, check the temperature with a meat thermometer (I like the kind you leave in the bird while it cooks). Remove from the oven when the thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

Serve with sweet potatoes that have been mashed with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and Splenda or brown sugar, and a green veggie.

You can actually season your bird with a host of flavorings; everything from chili powder, to a smoky dry-rub. But no matter what you stuff it with, or what kind of seasoning you put on the bird, or even if you've brined the bird, if you remove it when the thermometer reads 160, you will be rewarded with a very juicy and tender bird. And this same advice goes for chicken and turkey as well, though the larger, whole birds should be removed ata temperature of 150 to 155.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
We love Cornish hens here and I even have a separate section in my recipe file just for them. Here's a recipe I've had for a long time and don't recall where it came from but, suffice it to say, it's something both Buck and I really like. One thing we do a little differently is that we start with about 1 tablespoon of the steak sauce and then work up to what tastes best to us. You might want to do that as well. Maybe you will like these, too.


PINEAPPLE-STUFFED
CORNISH HENS
(Serves 2)​
2 (20-oz.) Cornish hens
½ tsp. salt, divided
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple
3 cups cubed day-old bread, cut into ½ in. cubes, crusts removed
1 celery rib, chopped
½ cup flaked coconut
2/3 cup butter melted, divided
¼ tsp. poultry seasoning
2 Tbsp. steak sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Sprinkle inside of hens with ¼ tsp. salt; set aside. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a bowl, combine the pineapple, bread cubes, celery and coconut. Add 6 tablespoons butter; toss to coat.


Loosely stuff hens. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place on a rack in a greased shallow roasting pan. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 1½ cup baking dish; cover and set aside. Add poultry seasoning and remaining salt to remaining butter. Spoon some butter mixture over hens. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 40 minutes, basting twice with butter mixture.


Stir steak sauce and reserved pineapple juice into remaining butter mixture; baste hens. Bake reserved stuffing with hens for 30 minutes; baste hens twice.


Uncover stuffing; baste hens with remaining butter mixture. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 185º for hens and 165º for stuffing in hens. Remove hens from pan; keep warm.


Pour drippings into a saucepan; skim fat. Combine cornstarch, brown sugar, water and lemon juice until smooth; add to the drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with hens and stuffing.
 
aeyla, you'll have to buy a few more game hens with all the ideas you're going to get!! ;) here's one more for you -

Roasted Game Hens with Goat Cheese and Walnut Linguine
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 each Rock Cornish game hens
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, large, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2/3 cup Madeira wine
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced julienne
1 bunch spinach, cleaned and sliced in 1/4 inch ribbons
1/2 pound linguine
3/4 pound goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Rub the hens with olive oil, or substitute bacon fat, until coated. Place them in an ovenproof dish and roast them for 30 to 40 minutes until the hens are golden brown. Allow the hens to cool until you can easily handle them.

Remove the meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add the linguine. Cook until just tender.
While the pasta is cooking, sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft but not browned. Add the wine, reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add the bell pepper and cook until tender. Add the diced hen meat, toss to reheat but not to overcook the meat. Remove from heat.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a large bowl. Toss with the spinach ribbons. Add the hot hen mixture, along with the goat cheese to the pasta and toss. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper if necessary. Portion onto 4 plates and garnish each with the walnuts. Serve immediately.

NOTE: You may substitute Poussins (young chickens) or boneless chicken breasts for the game hens in this recipe.
 
Oh thank you all for your lovely recipes you guys rock!!!:punk:
I have always wanted to make game hens but never had a good recipe for them. Now I can make then all the time!!! I am so glad I found this forum!!!!!!
:wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:
 
A very simple and savory way to cook them. Just melt 1/4 lb of butter or margarine and mix in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, marjoram, and rosemary leaves. I rub them between my palms to crush them as I add them to the butter. Then just baste the hens inside and out with the mixture. Cook in a shallow baking dish (on a rack if possible) at 350° for about 45 minutes, basting a couple more times while cooking. The skin should be golden and crispy. :chef:
 
and the very easiest way to prep a game hen is to rub with a little oil, under the skin and on the outside both, then rub with every kitchen's helper "Good Stuff" (we called it by another name at work... ;) )! A mix of 2 parts Kosher salt, 1 part garlic powder an 1 part white pepper. Stick in oven - just a nice, wonderful aroma and flavor.
 
I want to thank you all for your wonderful recipes! I made them last night and they turned out wonderful. My boyfriend really loved them!!! I am so going to make all the recipes here!!!!:)
 
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