Moroccan Spiced Game Hen Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Finely grind first 7 ingredients in spice grinder or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Whisk in orange juice, oil and garlic. (Spice mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Rub spice mixture all over hens; place hens in large roasting pan. Sprinkle hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together to hold shape. Arrange carrots in pan around hens. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes. Add stock to roasting pan. Roast hens until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced and carrots are tender, basting hens occasionally with pan juices, about 35 minutes longer. Place 1 hen on each of 4 plates. Arrange carrots alongside. Spoon warm Orange-Honey Sauce over and serve.

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Stir curry powder, coriander, cumin and cayenne in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add garlic to skillet; mix into spices.
• Using fingertips, loosen skin of game hen pieces. Rub spice paste onto meat under skin. Sprinkle outside of pieces with salt and pepper.
• Place hen pieces on grill. Cover with foil and grill 10 minutes. Uncover; turn pieces over. Cover and continue to grill until golden brown, cooked through and juices run clear when hen is pierced with small knife, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes for breast pieces and 15 minutes for leg-thigh pieces. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Toss the green beans and carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each ras el hanout and salt and a few grinds of pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on the upper rack until tender and lightly browned, adding the almonds halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with the remaining 1 teaspoon ras el hanout and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add to the skillet; cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to another rimmed baking sheet and roast on the lower oven rack until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits, then add the apricots, olives and harissa. Cook until the apricots soften and the broth is reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Pour any accumulated juices from the chicken into the sauce.
• Slice the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

Steps:

• Mix 3 tablespoons of the oil with the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub inside surfaces of hens with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, then smear them, inside and out, with the spice paste. Set aside 1 hour.
• Sauté onions in remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Stir in raisins and remaining cumin and cook until onions are lightly browned. Fold in cooked couscous and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat grill or heat oven to 375 degrees. If grilling, sear hens on the skin side over medium heat, then turn them over, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. If using oven, roast hen halves skin side up in a roasting pan until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, basting a couple of times with remaining lemon juice.
• Reheat couscous, fold in cilantro, and mound on a platter. Arrange hen halves around couscous and serve hot or warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine garlic and salt in small bowl. Using fork, mash into paste. Mix in ginger, cumin, coriander and cayenne. Loosen skin of each game hen quarter, creating pocket but leaving skin attached. Rub seasoning mixture onto meat under loosened skin, dividing equally. Arrange quarters in shallow roasting pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Bake until cooked through and juices run clear when thigh meat is pierced, about 25 minutes. Transfer hen quarters to platter and serve.

Steps:

• Whisk olive oil, 1/4 cup mint, cilantro, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, honey, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cloves garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne in a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in a separate bowl.
• Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Press air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 5 hours.
• Whisk yogurt, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup mint, 2 cloves garlic, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl to make sauce. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
• Toss green bell peppers and red onion in the reserved 1/4 cup marinade. Remove chicken from the bag and discard all marinade. Thread chicken, peppers, and onion alternately onto skewers.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Arrange skewers on the grill. Close lid and cook, turning once or twice, until chicken is firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from grill and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with cold sauce.

Steps:

• Arrange orange slices in a 2 quart (13 x9 ) baking dish and sprinkle evenly with dates.
• Remove and discard giblets and neck (if included) and rinse hens with cold water. Pat dry. Remove skin & excess fat. Split hens in half lengthwise. Place hen halves, meaty side up, on top of dates. Prepare paste. Place cilantro in food processor; pulse 4 times or until coarsely chopped. Add cardamom, cumin, coriander and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Place cilantro mixture onto hens; arrange olives around hens.
• Prepare marinade. Combine vinegar, wine, & honey; stir well with a whisk until well blended. Slowly pour over hens. Cover and marinade in refrigerator 2-24 hours, basting once with vinegar mixture.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Uncover hens and bake at 250 for 1 hours 25 minute or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the vinegar mixture. Shield wings with foil, if needed.

Steps:

• First, make the yogurt sauce: Combine 1 cup of the yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix well, and chill until ready to use.
• Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chicken, panko, egg, parsley, olive oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, until incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, form meatballs about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, then place them on a plate or sheet pan until ready to use.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/8-inch olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches, flipping occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (If the meatballs begin browning too quickly or the oil begins smoking, lower the heat.) Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To serve, spread the yogurt sauce in an even layer on a flat platter. Arrange the meatballs on top, and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and the pine nuts, if using. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Remove and dicard the fat just inside the body cavities of the game hens. Remove any packages of giblets. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Cut each game hen lenghtwise in half with poultry shears. Place birds in a large, deep nonreactive bowl or baking dish and set aside while you make the marinade.
• Combine the onion, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, salt, cumin, paprika, ginger and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Pour the mixture over the game hens, turning them to thoroughly coat. Cover and let marinade in the refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours, (the longer the better) turning the birds occasionally.
• Preheat the grill, one area for high heat and another area for medium heat.
• When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the game hens from the marinade and arrange, skin side down, on the grate over the hotter section of the grill 3-5 minutes and then move to medium heat for another 5-7 minutes Using tongs turn the hens over (skin side up) and onto the high heat area and cook 3-5 minutes and then move over to the medium heat and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes or until juices run clear.
• Transfer the hens to serving plates and serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk honey, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, turnips, squash, onion and garlic. Toss with 3 tablespoons spice mixture.
• With a heavy chef's knife or poultry shears, cut hens in half lengthwise, from breast through backbone. Cut off wing tips and first joint. With a paper towel, pull skin off breast, wing, thigh and leg bones; discard skin. Rub hens with remaining spice mixture.
• Lightly oil a 10 x 14 inch roasting pan or coat it with nonstick spray. Spread vegetables in pan; toss with tomatoes and their juices. Nestle hens, bone-side down, into vegetables. Add chicken broth to pan. Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake hens and vegetables for 45 minutes. Uncover and roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until hens are no longer pink inside and vegetables are tender, 15 - 20 minutes more. Garnish with parsley and cilantro and serve.

Steps:

• 1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the game hens. Remove the packages of giblets (if any) and set aside for another use. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Spatchcook the game hens or cut each one lengthwise in half with poultry shears. Place the birds in a large, deep nonreactive bowl or baking dish and set aside while you prepare the marinade.2. Combine the onion, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, salt, cumin, paprika, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Pour the mixture over the game hens in the large bowl and turn the birds to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 1 to 8 hours (the longer the better), turning the birds occasionally.3. Preheat the grill, using the two-tiered method.4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the game hens from the marinade and arrange, skin side down, on the grate over the hotter section of the grill and cook. The total cooking time will be 25 to 35 minutes.5. Transfer the hens to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.Serves 4

Steps:

• Arrange orange slices in bottom of 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Top with game hens. Mix 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped garlic and 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin in bowl. Rub mixture all over hens. Whisk tawny Port, oil, vinegar and honey in small bowl. Pour over hens. Tuck dates and olives between hens. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight, turning hens once.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Turn hens skin side up. Bake hens with marinade, dates and olives until hens are cooked through, basting occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer hens, dates and olives to platter; discard orange slices. Pour pan juices into heavy small saucepan. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon some sauce over hens. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.