Best 7 Garlicky Smothered Cornish Hens Recipes

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.

BUTTERFLIED CORNISH HENS WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place hens on a sheet tray fitted with a cooling rack in the refrigerator to dry skin out for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, melt butter with sage, zest, salt and pepper. Remove hens from refrigerator. Preheat 2 large saute pans over medium heat, lightly coat with oil. Season hens with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, in the pans. Sear until skin caramelizes and turns golden brown and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Flip birds over, and baste with sage butter. Sprinkle tops with chopped bacon and place in preheated oven to finish cooking, 25 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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.

CORNISH HEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat each Cornish hen with 2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Into the cavity of each bird, insert a lemon half, an onion quarter, half a garlic head and 3 thyme sprigs. Set aside.
• Spread the carrots and potatoes in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or roasting pan. Add the chicken broth and then the prepared Cornish hens. Roast until the juices run clear and the hens are golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

SUNNY'S GRILLED CORNISH HENS AND VEGGIES CHEAT SHEET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven or grill for cooking on indirect heat at 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.
• Combine the baby carrots, honey, olive oil, Italian seasoning, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, lemon zest, salt, pepper and juice of 1/2 lemon in a large bowl. Toss to coat and distribute evenly around the edges of the lined baking sheet.
• Place the hens in the middle of the baking sheet. Brush each hen with olive oil all over, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and Hungarian paprika to taste. Stuff each hen with the rosemary and thyme.
• Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven or above the indirect heat of the grill. Roast until the hens reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F and the veggies are caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the grill or oven and allow the hens to rest until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Spritz with juice from the remaining lemon half before serving.

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.

SMOTHERED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Brown hens in the butter in a large skillet over a medium-high heat.
• Then place with breast up in a 13x9 baking dish.
• Add flour into the skillet stirring until smooth.
• Cook 2 minutes; stirring constantly over medium heat.
• Slowly stir in the broth and sherry; cook over medium heat, constantly stirring, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
• Stir in salt and pepper.
• Pour sauce over hens and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour covered.