Best 6 Cornish Hens On A Rotisserie Recipes

ROTISSERIE CORNISH GAME HENS, BRINED AND HERBED

Steps:

• In a container large enough to fit all the hens, mix the salt and sugar in the water until dissolved. Submerge the hens in the brine, and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
• Put the herb rub ingredients in a small bowl, mix to combine, and set aside. Remove the hens from the brine, and pat dry with paper towels. Be thorough - wet hens won't brown! Loosen the skin covering the breasts of the hen by carefully running your finger under the skin. Get a little of the herb rub on the breast meat where you just loosened it, and spread it all over the breast. Rub the hens with the rest of the herb rub, making sure to get some inside the cavity as well. Truss the hens and put them on the spit. It helps if you have four sets of forks for your spit for this. Put the hens on in two sets of two - first bird on the spit feet first, then the second bird breast first, so the neck part of the backbone of the two hens are touching. Then use a fork to secure the first pair of hens. Repeat for the second set of hens. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare your grill.
• Set your grill up for rotisserie cooking at high heat. For my Weber Summit, this means removing the grates, turning the two outer burners (burners 1 and 6) to high, and turning the infrared burner to high. Then I put my drip pans in the middle, over the unlit burners.
• Put the spit on the grill, put your foil pans under the hens, and start the spit spinning. Cook with the lid closed. It will take for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the hens. (It took 45 minutes for my 1 1/2 pound hens). Check the internal temp on the hens after 20 minutes, and every 10 minutes thereafter - you want 160*F to 165*F in the breast, and 170*F to 180*F in the thigh. Remove the spit from the grill (while wearing gloves!), and remove the hens from the spit. Cover the hens with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
• Cut the hens in half - I find a half a hen to be a good serving for an adult, with one hen per person if they're a big eater. If you have poultry shears or kitchen shears, cut the chicken along one side the backbone, and then through the middle of the breast to separate the hen into two halves. If you don't have shears, use a large knife. On a cutting board, run a chef's knife through the cavity and split the chicken along the backbone, then turn it over and split through the breast.

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.

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.

ROTISSERIE BBQ CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• For a G.E. Countertop Oven with Rotisserie:.
• Combine all the ingredients of the rub. Use on poultry: lightly brush bird with olive oil, then rub spice mixture over and under the skin. Let marinade for up to 12 hours.
• Warning: Do Not reuse leftover rub or marinade after it has been applied to meat or poultry; it may contain harmful bacteria.
• Use a baking twine to secure the bird(s) legs and wings to keep from flopping around as the rotisserie is turning.
• Position a rotisserie fork at the opposite end of the spit from where the point is located and secure into position using the thumbscrews.
• Thread the spit through the bird(s) cavity and secure the fork into the meat of the bird.
• Place the second fork onto the spit and secure into the meat.
• Insert the pointed end of the spit into the rotisserie motor and the other end into the support.
• Place the drip pan in the oven in the lowest position to catch the drippings.
• Turn the timer to the Stay on position (I set mine to 60 minutes then to 30 minutes so I have to check on the birds). Allow to cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• For the mop:.
• Mix all ingredients in a pot, and heat over med/low for 20 minutes.
• Let the mop cool before placing in a sprayer.
• Moisten the birds by spraying the mop onto them about every 20 to 30 minutes during cooking.
• Birds are done when juices run clear and the legs separate from the birds easily.

CORNISH HENS ON A ROTISSERIE

Steps:

• Wash the hens under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix all the spices together and rub the outside of the hen making sure it is coated with the spice very well. Slide the hens on to the the rod and secure with cotton string around the end of the legs and wings.
• If you have a rotisserie, set temp to 350 or on the medium setting. Cook hens 30-40 or until temp reaches 170 in the thigh area . Let set for 5-7 minutes before serving.
• You can also use your oven set at 350,I have found it works the best if you can set the hens on a small rack inside a roasting pan ans baste the last 15 minutes.

TANDOORI MARINATED CORNISH HENS ON THE ROTISSERIE

Steps:

• Place onion, garlic, ginger, saffron, lime juice, yogurt and the remaining spices in a bowl. Stir to combine.
• Place the hens in a baking dish and rub the entire hen, including the cavity with the marinade. Cover the hens and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the grill to high. Skewer the hens on the rotisserie and grill for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until cooked through.
• Place the sliced onions in a bowl of ice water, cover and refrigerate while the hens are grilling. Right before serving, remove the onions from the water and pat dry. Half the hens and serve with onion slices, cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.