Succulent Cornish hens, renowned for their tender meat and crispy skin, take center stage in this culinary symphony. Perfectly roasted to golden-brown perfection, these plump hens exude an enticing aroma that promises a delectable dining experience. Nestled within each hen is a savory cornbread stuffing, a delightful medley of sweet corn, tender bread crumbs, aromatic herbs, and a hint of spice. The stuffing, bursting with flavor, complements the succulent hen meat, creating a harmonious union of textures and tastes. Accompanying the Cornish hens are three enticing recipes that elevate the meal to a gourmet feast. A vibrant salsa verde, a zesty lemon-herb sauce, and a creamy mushroom sauce offer a trio of flavors that cater to diverse palates. These sauces, drizzled over the roasted hens, add layers of complexity and richness, transforming the dish into a culinary masterpiece. Prepare to embark on a culinary journey where succulent Cornish hens, brimming with flavor, take center stage, accompanied by a symphony of tantalizing sauces.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
CORNISH GAME HENS WITH RICE STUFFING
My mother used to make this for Easter dinner. The rice stuffing is a perfect partner for the hens. Packaged wild rice mix can be used as well.
Provided by MOMMYCOFFEY
Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes
Time 2h10m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the almonds, onion, and uncooked wild rice. Saute 5 to 10 minutes. Mix in the water, chicken bouillon cube, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 45 minutes until rice is tender and easily fluffed with a fork.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Season the Cornish game hens inside and out with salt, and stuff with the rice mixture. Place the hens breast side up on a rack in a baking pan. Brush with 1/4 cup melted butter.
- Cover the baking pan, and cook the hens 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue cooking 1 hour, or until the hens are no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 396.9 calories, Carbohydrate 11.3 g, Cholesterol 128.9 mg, Fat 32.3 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 15.8 g, SaturatedFat 15.8 g, Sodium 1341.1 mg, Sugar 0.7 g
STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS
THIS ENTREE makes an ordinary day special. Whenever I cook Cornish hens for my husband and me, it stirs up warm memories of family times around the holiday dinner table. I bake the extra stuffing separately so we're sure to have enough. -Nancy Aubrey, Ruidoso, New Mexico
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h20m
Yield 2 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large skillet or saucepan, saute celery and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornbread, bread crumbs, pimientos, broth, egg, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well. , Stuff each hen with 3/4 cup stuffing. Place extra stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; refrigerate. Place hens breast side up on a rack in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375° for 45 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; add garlic, lemon zest, mint and remaining salt and pepper. Brush over hens. Bake 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing. Bake the extra stuffing, covered, for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1728 calories, Fat 106g fat (44g saturated fat), Cholesterol 601mg cholesterol, Sodium 3675mg sodium, Carbohydrate 106g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 82g protein.
CORNISH HENS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING
Shake up tradition a little and serve these for Thanksgiving or anytime! Everyone loves to have their own little bird stuffed with moist, delicious cornbread stuffing. This is an easy dinner to make for a party! You can make your own cornbread or use store-bought. Adapted from Barefoot Contessa At Home cookbook.
Provided by Sharon123
Categories Poultry
Time 1h25m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400*F.
- To make stuffing:.
- Melt butter in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook over medium low heat for 8 minutes, until translucent. Remove from heat and add celery, parsley, cornbread, and chicken stock. Mix well, set aside.
- For the hens:.
- Rinse them inside and out, removing any pin feathers, and pat outsides dry. In a roasting pan that's just large enough to hold the hens loosely, toss in the onions and then place the hens on top, breast side up. Sprinkle the insides of the hens with salt and pepper and loosely fill the cavities with the stuffing. If there is any stuffing leftover, bake it in a separate pan until heated through.
- Tie the legs of each hen together and tuck the wings under the bodies. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 50-60 minutes, until skin is browned and the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
- Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Serve a whole hen per person. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 491.8, Fat 27.5, SaturatedFat 14.3, Cholesterol 268.9, Sodium 217.4, Carbohydrate 9.7, Fiber 1.6, Sugar 4.2, Protein 49.6
ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING
I am a huge fan of cornish hens because they are all white meat - my favorite part! This is a great main course for a special occasion or holiday with a small gathering, or just for a special weekend treat. YUMMY!
Provided by lazy gourmet
Categories Poultry
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Remove the giblets from the hens, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
- Prepare the marinade- combine the vegetable oil, the wine, the chopped medium onion, the garlic, half of the rosemary, the 1/2 teaspoons salt and coarsely ground black pepper and the unsalted butter.
- Place the hens in a large food storage bag and pour the marinade over them.
- Close the bag securely and refrigerate for at least three hours.
- Shake the bag occasionally to coat the hens with the marinade.
- Prepare the stuffing- in saute pan, melt the salted butter.
- Saute the 1 cup chopped onions and celery in the butter until tender.
- In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the sauteed onions and celery.
- Mix in the poultry seasoning, sage and remainder of the rosemary.
- Add the eggs and enough chicken broth to slightly moisten and barely bind the ingredients.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the hens from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the hens to taste inside and out with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity loosely with the cornbread stuffing.
- Brush butter over the skin of the hens and place them breast side up in a roasting pan with enough space to allow room between the hens.
- Roast for 15 minutes to brown.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and baste frequently with pan drippings for 45 minutes.
ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH CHORIZO CORNBREAD STUFFING
Steps:
- For the Cornish hens: The night before you plan to cook, rub the chickens all over with Aaron's Achiote Paste (underneath the skin, on the skin, inside the cavities). Let them marinate, covered, overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- For the stuffing: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook Aaron's Chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring occasionally as it cooks, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have browned, about 10 minutes. Add the cornbread and cilantro. Gradually stir in enough of the stock so that the stuffing is not too dry but at the same time not too wet. Stir gently and well.
- Divide the stuffing equally and spoon into the cavity of each bird. Arrange the birds with plenty of space between them on a rack on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Roast the chickens until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F, about 40 minutes.
- Combine the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, achiote paste, oregano, cumin and garlic in a blender. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a smooth vinaigrette. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Put the ground beef and pork in a large bowl. Add the vinegar, salt and garlic, and mix well (your hands are the best tools for this job). Sprinkle with the oregano, canela, pepper, star anise and cloves, and mix well. Add the wine and sugar and mix well.
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Put the chile powder in a small bowl, pour in the boiling water and stir well to make a paste. Let it cool to room temperature. Work the paste into the meat with your fingers until it's well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate overnight before you use it. Store in 2-ounce portions in zip-top bags in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
CORNISH HENS WITH CRANBERRY STUFFING
Serving Cornish hens to our young sons makes them feel like kings! I often have to make extra stuffing to have on hand for leftovers. -Marjorie O'Dell, Bow, Washington
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h45m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cut bread into 1/2-in. cubes; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes or until toasted and dry. In a bowl, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, salt and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Add 1 tablespoon butter and enough orange juice until stuffing reaches desired moistness., Loosely stuff hens; rub skin with remaining butter. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into stuffing reads 165°.
Nutrition Facts :
SPICED CORNISH HENS WITH CORNBREAD AND SAUSAGE STUFFING
Gina: Pat and I love, absolutely love, Cornish hens. One year we took a family vacation to Florida's Gulf Shore for Thanksgiving. When we got there, we had a beach view as well as the beach to ourselves. It was going to be a special Thanksgiving. Here's what happened: Before we left for our vacation, Pat begged me not to go overboard packing the foodstuffs. He said, "I don't want to smell collard greens up the road." Well, I said, "Too bad," because I knew stores might not be open, and I needed my ingredients for cooking the birds. See, ladies, this is why we are so special, because we know. Well, guess what, when we got to the coast, we couldn't find any stores that were open. So it was lucky for us that a smart momma had packed all her ingredients, and we were able to cook our entire Thanksgiving dinner. Long story short: It was a wonderful meal. We enjoyed our dinner overlooking a beautiful beach, and the meal remains one of our most cherished memories. Lesson here, ladies: Never let a man tell you what to pack! As for the birds, they are surprisingly easy to prepare. After the hens are rubbed with spices, the fragrant cornbread stuffing can be assembled in minutes in one skillet. The real appeal is the flavor and the stylish presentation. This recipe promises to be a holiday staple for years to come, with or without the view!
Yield serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients the salt, cumin, chile powder, black pepper, and allspice in a small bowl. Season both sides of the hens with this mix, and set them aside to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.
- Cook the sausage in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels; drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the heat, and add the oil. Add the onion, celery, and jalapeño, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the thyme, crumbled cornbread, sausage, chicken stock, parsley, and cilantro, if desired. Remove the skillet from the heat; taste the stuffing for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease two 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking dishes with oil.
- Place the hens skin side down on a work surface. Pack one fourth of the stuffing into each cavity. Arrange the hens stuffing side down in the prepared dish. Brush the tops of the hens with the mustard. Roast the hens until they are golden brown and juices run clear when thighs are pierced, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the hens to a platter, and serve.
Tips:
- Brining the Cornish hens: Brining helps to keep the meat moist and flavorful. You can brine the hens for up to 24 hours, but 12 hours is sufficient. If you don't have time to brine the hens, you can simply season them with salt and pepper before roasting.
- Stuffing the Cornish hens: The cornbread stuffing is a delicious and classic filling for Cornish hens. You can also stuff the hens with other fillings, such as wild rice, quinoa, or sausage. Be sure to not overstuff the hens, as this will prevent them from cooking evenly.
- Roasting the Cornish hens: Cornish hens roast quickly, so it's important to keep an eye on them to prevent them from overcooking. The hens are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check the temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.
- Serving the Cornish hens: Cornish hens can be served whole or carved. If you're serving them whole, be sure to provide small plates and forks so that your guests can easily eat the meat. You can also carve the hens into smaller pieces before serving.
Conclusion:
Cornish hens are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for any occasion. With their crispy skin, tender meat, and flavorful stuffing, Cornish hens are sure to please everyone at your table. So next time you're looking for a special dish to serve, give Cornish hens a try!
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