Berry Port Game Hens Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, saute the shallots in the butter over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the clementine zest and juice, cranberry, brown sugar and rosemary. Simmer until thick, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Season the game hens liberally with salt and pepper. Using a basting brush, paint each bird entirely with the glaze. Cover the wing tips with foil to keep them from blackening too much.
• Place the glazed birds in an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reglaze the birds. Check after 15 more minutes; if the sugars in the glaze are turning too brown, lightly tent the Dutch oven with foil to protect the skins. Baste again after 45 more minutes, then check with an instant-read thermometer after another 5 minutes; the thighs must register at 165 degrees F, the breasts at 170. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in top third of oven and second rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Mix 1 1/2 cups chopped beet greens, pancetta and juniper berries in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill hen cavities with pancetta mixture, dividing equally. Tie hen legs together. Place hens in heavy large roasting pan. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over hens. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Roast hens on bottom rack in oven until golden and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss chopped beets with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on heavy large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange beets in single layer. Roast beets on top rack in oven until tender and beginning to caramelize, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer hens to plates. Remove string. Scrape up any browned bits from bottom of roasting pan. Pour pan juices through sieve into 2-cup glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top of pan juices.
• Spoon beets around hens. Drizzle pan juices around hens and serve.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme, rosemary and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Place a turkey-sized oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add hens. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard brine; pat hens dry., Meanwhile, place the peppercorns and garlic in a food processor; cover and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil and herbs; cover and process until smooth. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from hens; rub half the butter mixture under skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks; tie drumsticks together. Rub remaining butter mixture over skin., In a 15x10x1-in. baking pan, toss the Brussels sprouts and onions with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Place hens, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Bake at 450° until thermometer inserted in breast reads 165°, 35-40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if hens brown too quickly., Remove hens and vegetables to a serving platter; cover and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. If desired, garnish with additional herbs.

Steps:

• Heat all brine ingredients until simmering then remove from heat.
• After brine has cooled, add two cleaned game hens, then place in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
• After brining, rinse birds well.
• Sauté butter, onion, celery seed and sage until onion is nearly translucent.
• Stir in breadcrumbs and let cool slightly.
• Stuff the game hens and lay them on their backs in a roasting pan.
• Roast at 350 degrees for one hour or until juice runs clear when hen is pricked.
• If darker skin is desired, cook bird at 500 degrees for final ten minutes.
• Most people can only eat a half of a game bird at a sitting, so you can cut the birds in half before serving.
• NOTE: If you use table salt instead of Kosher salt, USE HALF AS MUCH, as table salt is MUCH saltier, and your bird will be inedible.
• Any kind of heavy bread will do, we use Ezekiel bread in our household, as we are allergic to wheat flour.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine pepper and garlic powder in bowl. Pat hens dry inside and out. Season cavities with half of pepper mixture. Fill cavities with rice. Close cavities using skewers. Tuck wing tips under. Place hens in roasting pan. Melt butter with honey in small saucepan. Brush over hens. Sprinkle with remaining pepper mixture. Bake hens until juices run clear when thighs are pierced in thickest part, turning and basting frequently with honey-butter mixture, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until sauce thickens, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Sieve sauce to remove seeds if desired.
• Transfer hens to cutting board. Cut each in half. Transfer hens with stuffing to plates. Spoon sauce over.

Steps:

• Season hens by rubbing mixture of spices on skin.
• Roast on rack in pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
• Combine raspberries, soy sauce and garlic powder to baste hens.
• Add water to pan; cover with foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes to one hour more. Drain liquid.
• Reduce juices; baste again before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Rinse hens thoroughly and cut in half along the breastbone. Place halves, skin side up, in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme.
• Place in oven and roast for approximately 40 minutes to an hour, until skin is nicely browned. For extra color, brush with melted better during last 15 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, combine port, chicken broth, cornstarch mixture, raspberry preserves, and dried cherries.
• When hens are done cooking, remove from oven and let them rest on counter. Add pan drippings to the port mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer until desired consistency is reached. Add more preserves if the sauce is too tart. (The sauce can actually be made/reduced ahead of time - just reheat when pan drippings are added). Add more water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve with sauce spooned over hens.

Steps:

• Bring first 4 ingredients to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Puree sauce in processor. Strain into small bowl. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place game hens, cut side down, on small baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Continue baking until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 20 minutes longer.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add yams, onion and ginger; sauté until yams are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Cook rice in small saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Drain rice. Add rice to yam mixture in skillet. Add Riesling and stir over low heat to blend. Add mascarpone and stir to melt. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rewarm sauce. Spoon risotto onto plates. Top with hen. Sprinkle with nuts, parsley and orange peel. Drizzle sauce around risotto.
• *Italian cream cheese, available at Italian markets and many supermarkets. If unavailable, blend 8 ounces cream cheese with 1/4 cup whipping cream and 2 1/2 tablespoons sour cream. Use 2/3 cup mixture for the recipe.

Steps:

• Finely grate peel from orange to measure 1 teaspoon. Cut orange in half widthwise; cut a thin slice from each half. Quarter slices and set aside. Juice the orange to measure 1/4 cup. Loosen skin around hen breasts and thighs; place orange slices under the skin. Place hens in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the wine, jam and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in mustard and orange peel. Set aside 1/2 cup sauce for serving; brush remaining sauce over hens. Bake hens 10-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan juices. Warm reserved sauce; serve with hens.