Cornish Game Hen Recipe

[Richlw]

Appreciate any and all recipes for Cornish Game Hens.

Thanks,

Rich

[TB]

Welcome Richlw

Are you smoking these thangs or ovening them?

[txbbqcarrie]

Welcome to the forum.

[M38A1]

RichLW - WELCOME to the madness!

As for the game hens, I do them a couple ways. Both are prepped by washing under cold water, removing the 'parts bag' and pat dry with paper towels, then rubbing with olive oil, then salt and pepper with some garlic and a bit of rosemary and thyme.

Then depending on how I want to cook them, either:

1) Fire up the offset with wood/coals on one end of the firebox and place them on the rack of the firebox on the other side as to 'indirect grill' them, or

2) Drop them in a glass pyrex dish, add some cheap white or red wine about 1/2" deep and cook in the oven about an hour and quarter at 350*F. About every 15 minutes, I open the door and baste each one all over with a big chunk of butter.

~m38a1

[Zeeman]

Inject with favorite butter flavored injection, lightly sprinkle with Tony's, deep fry whole at 350* for about 11 minutes :wink: That's how we like them over here. Always drop in a few when frying turkeys. Get snack while big bird is frying :D
z

[TB]

Paul Kirk has a bunch of recipes in his first book on cornish hens. Most are for grilled hens and includes interesting marinates. Grilling is a good way to do these and they should be pulled when temps are 165 in the breast.

If you don't have the book and are intersted, I'll post one or two.

[WBC]

Not a recipe. Moved to Gen BBQ

[TB]

Cornish Hens with Peppered Port Wine Sauce - Paul Kirk

Marinade/sauce
1/2 cp minced onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp freshly ground rainbow peppercorns
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp Port Wine
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 to 4 Tbsp black raspberry jam, to your taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Four 18-24 ounce Cornish hens (split for grilling direct)

Cook sauce ingredients in sauce pan until they blend together. Cool.
Marinade clean, rinsed hens in sauce for 2 to 4 hours covered in refrigerator.

Remove the hens and boil the mariande in a nonreactive sauce pan for at least 5 minutes and set aside.

Grill directly over coals turning often until breast temp. is 165F. Use the sauce as a baste every 15 minutes.

I see no reason whole hens couldn't be grilled indirectly using this marinade.

[JamesB]

I like to keep it simple... A good rub or just EVO, salt and pepper... You can brine if you wish. Won't hurt a thing...

I really like them cooked over mesquite coals in my ugly barrel pit...

http://www.bennett-family.com/pics/pits/james/barrelpit/photos/P3080004.jpg

James.

[david brace]

Are you smoking these thangs or ovening them?
Never got an answer...maybe he left them in the cooler...:roll:

DB

[Thom Emery]

Yea James those look good

[M38A1]

James -
Wow! Don't know as I've ever seen that many 'little' birds cooked at once. Sure does look good.

Question - Do 'yall provide a whole bird per person when doing these or half them? I've typically done a bird per person since it plates easily and the presentation is better IMO.

[Richlw]

Thanks everyone for the many ideas and recipes for these little hens. That ol' barrel pit is something to behold!

Sure are a friendly bunch.

Regards,

Rich