Orange-Glazed Rock Cornish Game Hens

     When I was growing up having Rock Cornish Game Hens for dinner was really a big deal, my mother saved them for special occasions and even now when I make them they bring back memories of birthday celebrations and holiday gatherings.  Easy to make yet there is something so elegant about a tiny bird sitting on your dinner plate, it makes you feel like royalty.  I found this excellent recipe on the Tyson web site and will definitely be filing it away to make again in the future. 
     I split two whole hens in half and placed them on a thickly sliced onion in the bottom of my 10 inch deep oven.  You can also leave the hens whole, elevate them on a rack or even place them right into your oven.  There's really no way you can foul up this recipe (no pun intended).  I started with 10 coals around the base of the oven and 20 on the lid.  After 45 minutes, I brushed them with the remaining glaze, replaced the top coals with 18 fresh ones because it was a cold and blustery day and in 30 minutes they were brown and completely cooked through.  The sweet orange and honey glaze is a wonderful combination and something you may want to try on chicken as well. 

Orange-Glazed Cornish Game Hens
2-4 Cornish Hens without giblets, fresh or thawed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Cut each hen in half down backbone if desired.
     Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper; place in prepared oven.
     Combine orange juice concentrate, ketchup and honey.
     Spoon or brush on hens until completely covered.
     Roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
     Baste hens with remaining glaze; replace top coals if necessary.
     Bake for 30 minutes more or until hens are done (internal temp of 180 degrees F).
     Allow hens to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Place hens in oven and brush completely with glaze

Roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes then baste with
remaining glaze

Roast for another 30 minutes or until completely done

The hens were amazingly juicy and sweet

Chili-Roasted Game Hens with Jalapeño-Orange Sauce

     This recipe for Chili-Roasted Game Hens with Jalapeno-Orange Sauce from Epicurious may sound complicated but it only has a few ingredients and delivers in a big way.  The hardest part is splitting the hens and stuffing the cilantro sprigs under the skin but other than that the recipe is a snap and you only have to glaze them a couple of times while they're cooking.  I baked them in my 12 inch dutch oven with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with coals.  I glazed the hens after 15 minutes, then at 30 minutes and left them to cook for 30 minutes more, a total time of one hour.  They were juicy, golden brown and scented with orange and cilantro.  In my book this is a five star recipe, both impressive and easy to make at the same time.  I don't see why you couldn't cook these on your grill too, a great company dish, I know I'll be making this often, both inside and out.

Chili-Roasted Game Hens with Jalapeno-Orange Sauce
2 Cornish game hens, halved lengthwise
8 cilantro sprigs plus 2 Tblsp chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 tsp chili powder (preferably chipotle)
1/2 cup hot red jalapeno OR red pepper jelly
2 Tblsp orange juice
2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup bottled red salsa

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Slide fingertips under game hen skin to loosen from meat.
     Insert cilantro sprigs under skin.
     Place hens skin side up in prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle hens with chili powder; season with salt.
     Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
     Meanwhile, stir jelly, orange juice and orange peel in small saucepan over medium heat until jelly melts, about 2 minutes.
     Pour half of glaze in a small bowl leaving remainder of sauce in saucepan to use later.
     After the first 15 minutes of roasting, brush hens with glaze in bowl.
     Glaze hens again after another 15 minutes of cooking time.
     Let hens continue cooking for a total time of 55-60 minutes or until brown and cooked through.
     Bring remaining jelly reserved in pan to a simmer.
     Stir in chopped cilantro and salsa.
     Spoon sauce over hens and serve.

Place cilantro sprigs under the skin of the hens then
sprinkle with salt and chili powder

Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes then brush with glaze,
glaze again 15 minutes later

After 1 hour hens are glistening and golden brown

Sweet and spicy, one of my favorite dutch oven recipes

Bacon Wrapped Cornish Hens with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze

     If you are searching for something special to serve your family and friends, look no further.  This recipe for Bacon Wrapped Cornish Hens with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze from Epicurious.com has few ingredients but with a little preparation you can dazzle your guests with your culinary skills and an elegant gourmet meal.  When making the glaze be sure to use a heavy bottomed sauce pan or even a small dutch oven.  I made the mistake of reducing the sauce over too much heat, not only did the smoke alarms go off but I ended up with a gloppy blob of solid sugar that was almost impossible to remove from anything it touched.  After boiling three batches of water in the pan to remove the residue I tried again, this time simmering the mixture over medium low heat and stirred frequently until a thick, deep claret colored glaze appeared.  Let it sit to cool while you cook your bacon.  To play it on the safe side and to avoid another messy clean up I lined my dutch oven with aluminum foil.   I used a rack in my 12 inch deep oven but you could just as easily roast these in your shallow oven without one.  These were ready in 45 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and the lid completely covered.  As you can see from the photo, the bacon did overcook but the hens were brown, crispy and beautifully glazed.  Also, I did not wrap the hens with the bacon but crisscrossed a slice over each one.  Smokey flavored, juicy and loaded with flavor, try this recipe with chicken breasts or even use the glaze alone with whole game hens, this is easy, elegant dutch oven cooking.

Bacon Wrapped Cornish Hens with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
8 bacon slices
4 Cornish Game Hens

     Simmer jam and vinegar in a small saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until glaze is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 10-15 minutes.  Cool to room temperature (glaze will thicken slightly as it cools).
     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven, for easier clean up, line with aluminum foil.
     Cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until some of fat is rendered but bacon is still translucent and pliable, 5-7 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.
     Cut out and discard backbone from each hen with kitchen shears, then halve each hen lengthwise.  Pat hens dry and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange hens bottom side up in dutch oven.  Brush liberally with glaze.  Turn over, completely coat hens with remaining glaze.  Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each half hen, tucking ends under. 
     Bake at 400 degrees in dutch oven for 45-50 minutes or hens are well cooked and juices run clear when a thigh is pierced.  Serves 4.

A thick, ruby red reduction of vinegar and jam forms the glaze

Hens glazed and topped with bacon

After 45 minutes on a rack in a hot oven

Smokey, juicy, raspberry flavored hen

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