Grilledherbedcornishgamehens Recipes

Steps:

• In a large, non-reactive bowl, mix onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, pepper, celery salt, and salt. Place Cornish game hens in the bowl, coating evenly with the marinade mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook hens about 1 hour on the prepared grill, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and put a baking rack on top.
• Mix together the grill seasoning, dressing, and chopped herbs in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Generously rub the hens inside and out with the herb and dressing mixture. Stuff each hen with a sprig of each herb and a piece of lemon.
• In a large bowl, combine the carrots, onions and potatoes with the reserved 2 tablespoons of dressing mixture, a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Put the vegetables in a large roasting pan and arrange the hens on top. Roast them until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with foil and let the hens rest for 5 minutes before serving. Transfer the hens to a large serving tray with the roasted vegetables.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir together salt, lemon pepper, dried basil and poultry seasoning. Rub olive oil all over the hens and season each with the salt mixture. Place the hens on a baking sheet pan with plenty of space between them. You may need to use 2 pans. Loosely stuff the cavities of each hen with some green bell pepper, celery and onion. Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove the hens from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving or serving.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the Cornish hens with 1 teaspoon salt on each side.
• Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold the flattened hens. Add the hens, and turn to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
• When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on one side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the hens on the cooler side skin-side up and weigh them down with a gratin dish with a foil-wrapped brick inside.
• Cook for 12 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the hens skin-side down, weigh them down again, and cook for another 12 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the hens are cooked through.
• Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut-side down, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the Cornish hens and lemons to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the hens in half, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

Steps:

• In a blender combine the parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Blend together. Place chicken in a nonporous glass dish or bowl and pour blended marinade over the chicken. Cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
• Preheat grill to medium high heat OR set oven to broil.
• Remove chicken from dish (disposing of leftover marinade) and grill or broil for about 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

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:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup melted butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano and parsley.
• Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper to taste, then stuff with equal amounts butter/vegetable mixture. Place stuffed birds in a 9x13 inch baking dish, breast side up. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and brown at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

Steps:

• Place parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until finely chopped. With machine running, add olive oil.
• Loosen skin from the hens. Put 1 tablespoon of herb mixture under skin of each hen, smoothing to cover breasts. Place the birds on a large rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove hens from refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 1 hour). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place hens on a clean rimmed baking sheet (it's okay if they touch). Brush butter over surface of hens and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven, rotating pan once until golden brown and cooked through (meat thermometer should read 165 degrees when placed in the thigh), about 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before placing on individual plates. No carving necessary!

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, onions, parsley, ginger, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. , Rub mixture under the skin and over the top of each game hen. Sprinkle remaining salt and pepper inside the hen cavities. , Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan. , Place hens breast side up over drip pan; grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 45-60 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180° and the meat juices run clear.

Steps:

• Wash the hens inside and out under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the marinade ingredients and pour into a 1-gallon plastic zip-loc bag (or other container, whatever you want). Place the hens in the marinade, smush them around so they're coated well, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the grill with all burners on high, for 10 minutes and the lid down.
• While the grill is preheating, drain the marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes then remove from the heat and set aside for basting.
• Once the grill is hot, turn off the center burner and turn the other burners to medium. Place the hens, breast side up, over the center of the grill (or over the unlit burners or over the part of the charcoal grill where the coals have been cleared). Close the lid and cook until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the meat is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife (I shoot for where the thigh is attached), about 1 hour. Turn the birds about every 15-20 minutes and baste with the hot boiled marinade. Serve hot off the grill or cool to room temp and refrigerate for a picnic.

Steps:

• Heat a grill to high. Remove the backbone of each hen. Turn the hens skin side up and press on the breast bone to flatten. If desired you can cut through the breast to half the hens. Rinse each hen and dry.
• Spread the hens out flat on a large shallow baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Bend the wings under the breasts to protect them from burning.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a small bowl and add the garlic, a generous amount of pepper, and all but 1 teaspoon each of the thyme and rosemary. Brush the hens liberally on both sides with the seasoned oil and more pepper.
• Grill the hens skin side down, uncovered, until the skin develops nice grill marks (rotate a quarter turn after first 3 minutes to create a crosshatch pattern). Turn the hens over and sear on the second side, again uncovered for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the skin side with the reserved herbs and salt, reduce the heat and close the lid. If using a charcoal grill, move to side of coals to cook indirectly. Cook until the hens are tender and the skin is crisp and golden. A instant-read thermometer inserted into the thick part of the thigh should read 180 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Put the hens on a large serving platter. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the lemon juice. Serve the hens drizzled with the lemon oil. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat grill to 500 degrees F. Place a brick, wrapped in aluminum foil onto the grates of the grill to heat.
• Place the vegetable oil into a 1-quart saucepan and place over high heat. Heat until you see ripples in the in the oil, but do not allow to smoke. Add the fennel, cumin, coriander, mustard seed and paprika. When the seeds begin to pop, remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the mixture to the carafe of a blender along with the almonds and salt. Pulse until pureed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender, if necessary.
• Place the hen breast side down on a cutting board. Using scissors or poultry shears, cut from the neck to the tailbone to remove the backbone. Once you remove the backbone you will be able to see the inside of the bird. Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breastbone to reveal the keel bone. Grab the bird with both hands on the ribs and open up like a book, facing down towards the cutting board. Remove the keel bone. Cut small slits in the skin of the bird behind the legs and tuck the drumsticks into them in order to hold them in place. Place the birds into a baking dish and pour over the puree. Rub the puree onto the birds until thoroughly coated.
• Place the birds onto the middle of the grill, skin side down and cover evenly with the brick. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes. If using a gas grill with multiple zones, decrease the middle flame to low. After 10 minutes, turn the birds over, replace the brick and continue to cook until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reaches 170 degrees F, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow the bird to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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.

Steps:

• Cut off the wing tips of the Cornish hens.
• Split open, cutting through the breast.
• Split in half through the back by cutting on both sides of the backbone.
• Using a small, sharp knife, remove the ribs and breastbone.
• These bones are easily removed and doing so makes it much easier for the diner to enjoy.
• Slip your fingers under the skin to separate it from the meat. Go in from the side which was next to the backbone. This is where the pesto stuffing goes. Set hen aside while preparing the pesto.
• Give the garlic cloves a firm whack with the side of a knife to remove the skin.
• Crush to release the oils then place in a food processor along with the parmesan cheese, pine nuts, basil leaves,parsley,salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Process until finely ground.
• Slowly add just enough olive oil to make the pesto pasty and moist, but not runny.
• Place about 2 tablespoons of the stuffing under the skin of each half and evenly distribute it by applying gentle pressure to the skin.
• Any remaining pesto can be placed in a covered container and refrigerated for several weeks. Because the parsley has been added it will retain its bright green color.
• Sprinkle the skin with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Close to serving time, place about six pieces of pecan or oak chips in water to soak.
• Get a charcoal fire ready to grill on or turn on the gas grill if using that.
• Place the wet wood chips on the coals/ burner to create flavorful smoke.
• Grill the stuffed hens until richly browned on both sides, about 10-20 minutes in all, depending on size of hen.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat a gas grill to high. Using sharp kitchen scissors or poultry shears, remove the backbone of each hen by cutting on either side of it through the ribs. Turn the hens skin side up on the cutting board and press on the breastbone to flatten. Rinse each hen and pat dry. Spread the hens out flat on a large shallow baking sheet and sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper. Bend the wingtips under the breasts to protect them from burning.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a small bowl and add the garlic, a generous amount of pepper, and all but 1 teaspoons each of the thyme and rosemary. Brush the hens liberally on both sides with the seasoned oil then add more pepper.
• Grill the hens skin side down, uncovered, until the skin develops nice grill marks (rotate the birds a quarter turn after first 3 minutes to create a crosshatch pattern). Turn the hens and sear them on the second side, again uncovered, about 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle the skin side with the reserved herbs and salt, close the lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the hens are tender throughout and the skin is crisp and very golden; an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should read 180°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Put the hens on a large serving platter.
• Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the lemon juice. Serve the hens drizzled with the lemon oil.

Steps:

• Basting sauce instructions; In a small bowl, stir together ginger, onions, garlic, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, sugar, soy sauce, salt and pepper, cinnamon, and cloves; add the oil. Mix wel and then let stand 10 minutes (or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days).
• About 10 minutes ahead, preheat gas grill or about 1/2 hour ahead, light charcoal briquettes.
• Use poultry shears to or knife to cut hens in half, cutting through the breast and backbones.
• Grill hens, covered over low to medium heat until golden brown, turning as needed to prevent burning; Basting with sauce during grilling; reduce temperature or transfer hens away from direct heat and finish cooking with indirect heat; Grill until no longer pink at the bone, about 40 to 45 minutes (stop basting at least 10 minutes before cooking time is up to avoid contaminating cooked chicken with raw chicken juices). Discard leftover basting sauce.
• To use sauce as marinade; arrange hens in dish, cover with sauce, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours, Grill as directed.

Steps:

• 1. For the marinade, whisk together all the ingredients except the game hens and lemons in a large bowl.
• 2. Rinse, drain, and halve the hens lengthwise; place in the bowl, coating thoroughly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 8 hours (the longer, the better), turning occasionally.
• 3. Preheat the grill, using the three-tier method (see note below ). When ready to cook, oil the grill rack. Remove hens from the marinade and arrange skin-side down on the rack over the hottest section of the grill; cook until the skin starts to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Move the hens to the center section of the grill and continue to cook until the skin is thoroughly browned, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• 4. Turn the hens and move them back to the hottest section of the grill. Brown the second side well, 5 to 7 minutes, then move the pieces back to the center section of the grill to finish cooking. The total cooking time will be about 25 to 35 minutes. When ready, the hens will be crisp and golden-brown outside, and the juices will run clear when the meat is pierced. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
• Three-Tier Grilling Method:
• Pile 2/3 of the coals on one side of the grill and the remaining 1/3 in the center. Leave a small portion of the grill free of coals. Three-tier grilling gives you a super-hot heat source for searing, a moderately hot heat source for cooking, and an area to place the food if it starts to burn. You control the heat by moving the food from one area to the other.