Best 6 Cornish Hens With Roasted Garlic Aïoli Recipes

ROASTED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Combine all the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Pat the hens dry with paper towels and generously season with the dry rub both inside and out.
• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• In a roasting pan add the rosemary, thyme, garlic, onion, and half the lemon slices. Place the hens in the roasting pan over the herbs and onions and drizzle the olive oil over the hens.
• Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers at 165°F.
• Remove the hens from the oven and let them rest for 20 minutes. Garnish with additional thyme, lemon slices and rosemary and serve over mashed potatoes.

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 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.

GARLICKY SMOTHERED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare the hens: In a mini food processor, pulse the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to a paste. Using your fingers, make a pocket between the flesh and the skin of each Cornish hen. Stuff half the garlic paste between the skin and the flesh of the hens, evenly covering by pushing the paste along the flesh from the outside. Rub both hens all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a grind of pepper. Cross the legs of each hen and tie together with kitchen string. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature for about an hour.
• In a baking dish large enough to hold both hens, mix together the remaining garlic paste, the bell pepper, onions, cayenne pepper, paprika, a pinch of salt and a grind or 2 of pepper.
• Place the prepared hens on top of the vegetables in the pan and slowly pour in 2 cups chicken stock. Place in the oven and cook until the temperature reaches 160 degrees F between the leg and the body of the hen when tested with an instant-read thermometer, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the hens from oven and remove from the pan to a plate. Cover lightly with aluminum foil to keep them warm while making the gravy. In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables from the baking dish and the flour. Whisk the flour briskly until it is combined with all the pan contents. Add the wine and let reduce. Take a sip of wine for yourself; you've worked hard. Stir in the remaining 1 cup chicken stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and then cook until the sauce has thickened to a gravy consistency, about 5 more minutes. To serve, remove the aluminum foil from the hens. Remove the string and cut in the birds in half. Pour the gravy over the top and garnish with chopped parsley.

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.

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.