Game Hens With Brussels Sprouts And Chestnuts Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the game hens and pat them dry. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and place a quarter lemon and a quarter onion in each cavity. Place the birds, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the white wine into the pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the juices run clear when the hen is pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and serve with the pan juices spooned over the hens.
• ROASTED GAME HENS WITH ASIAN SPICE RUB: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the game hens and pat them dry. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and place a quarter lemon and a quarter onion in each cavity. In a small bowl, combine the butter, ginger and five-spice powder. Rub the five-spice mixture onto the hens. Place the birds, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the white wine into the pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the juices run clear when the hen is pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and serve with the pan juices spooned over the hens. Yield: 6 servings
• ROASTED GAME HENS STUFFED UNDER THE SKIN WITH HERBED RICOTTA: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ricotta in a fine sieve and drain for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the drained ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk, herbs and lemon zest. Put the garlic clove through a garlic press and into the ricotta. Mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Rinse the game hens and pat them dry. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and place a quarter lemon and a quarter onion in each cavity. Loosen the skin on the breasts by sliding your fingers under the skin, being careful not to pierce it. Spoon the ricotta mixture under the skin (about 4 tablespoons of stuffing per bird.) Truss the birds. Place the birds, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the white wine into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when the hen is pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven and serve with the pan juices spooned over the hens. Yield: 6 servings

Steps:

• Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over hens. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or a thermometer reads 180°.

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:

• Score the flat side of each chestnut with an X. Place the chestnuts into a large pot filled with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove chestnuts from the pot. Allow to cool slightly, then peel outer shell and brown skin. Return chestnuts to the pot and continue to boil over medium heat until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring another large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts, and cook uncovered until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the Brussels sprouts are cold, drain well, and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the shallots; cook and stir until the shallots has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chestnuts and Brussels sprouts. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue cooking and stirring until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring the rice, a pinch of salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan with a lid. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer the wild rice until the kernels burst open, 45 to 50 minutes. Replenish the water if necessary. Fluff the rice with a fork, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb water.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a baking dish large enough to hold the game hen.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and cook and stir the mushrooms over medium heat until they are partially cooked and starting to give their juice, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and butter into the cooked rice.
• Sprinkle the game hen, inside and out, with poultry seasoning, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Lightly stuff the Cornish hen with the wild rice mixture, and tie the legs together with cooking twine to hold in the stuffing. Slice 2 tablespoons of butter into small pats, and dot them around the bird.
• Bake the bird in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 40 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the game hen from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees with cast iron skillet in the oven while it's pre-heating.
• To prepare the hens, gently pull the legs out and away from the body so that they become dis-jointed and lie flat on either side of the body.
• Rub 1/2 tablespoon olive oil all over each hen. Sprinke each with seasoning blend to taste outside and inside the cavity; set aside.
• Wash the potatoes and toss them into a bowl with about 1/2″ of water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on high in the microwave. Discard water and set aside.
• Remove the pan from the hot oven and drop bacon pieces onto one half of the pan.
• Place the chickens into the other half of the pan, breast up. Make sure to place the legs and thighs flat against the bottom of the pan. Put the skillet back into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven, brush breasts with a few dabs of the bacon drippings. To the pan add the potatoes and garlic slices over 1/2 of the bacon pieces and the brussels sprouts over the other half of the bacon pieces. Toss the potatoes and brussel sprouts with the bacon pieces to coat them in some of the fat.
• Put the pan back into the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Continue to cook for 45-50 minutes longer or until the juices from the legs and thighs run clear when pierced.
• Serve with pan juices.

Steps:

• For caramelized root vegetables:
• Melt butter with oil in very large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add rutabagas and next 4 ingredients; sauté until vegetables are caramelized and tender, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Stir in chestnuts, garlic, and thyme; sauté 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through before serving.
• For hens:
• Mix 1/4 cup thyme, shallots, oil, orange peel, garlic, and crushed juniper berries in small bowl for marinade. Rub marinade all over hens. Place hens in large roasting pan; cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Pour 1 1/2 cups broth into roasting pan with hens. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper. Cover pan tightly with foil. Roast until hens are cooked through and juices run clear when thighs are pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler.
• Pour pan juices from hens into small saucepan; add dried currants and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes (sauce will be thin). Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, broil hens until lightly browned, watching closely to avoid burning, about 4 minutes.
• Place 1 hen half on each plate. Divide caramelized vegetables among plates. Spoon sauce over hens and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F; spray baking pan with nonstick spray.
• Remove and discard giblets.
• Rinse and pat dry inside and out of the hens.
• Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper; set aside.
• In a medium skillet, cook and stir sausage over a medium heat until no longer pink.
• Add the onion and celery.
• Cook until tender, about five minutes.
• Add stuffing mix, 1/3 cup of water, and 1/2 teaspoons of sage; mix well.
• Spoon warm filling evenly into the inside of the hens.
• Blend the 1/4 teaspoons of poultry seasoning with the butter.
• Rub evenly over the hens.
• Place the hens in a baking pan.
• Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes or until no longer pink and thermometer says 180°F Let stand for five minutes before serving.
• With a knife, split each hen length wise through the center of the breast and through the backbone, cutting just to one side of the backbone.