Cornish Hens with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

4 each Cornish game hens, about 1 1/4 pounds
2 1/2 cups Roasted Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 large white onion, sliced 3/8" thick
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil salt, preferably coarse

Rinse the hens and pat dry. Set them in a bowl and coat with the Roasted Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans and onion slices until both are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and spread out on a tray to cool.

Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Scrape the marinade from the hens back into the bowl and stir in the cream. Set the hens, breast side up, in a large oiled roasting pan with the legs facing out. Brush hens with the oil, season with salt and roast in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.

Arrange the beans and onions around the hens, pour the marinade over and roast for about 20 minutes longer, or until the thigh juices run clear when pierced.

Transfer the hens and vegetables to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil. Spoon off any fat from the pan sauce. Set the roasting pan over 2 burners on moderate heat and boil, scraping up any browned bits, for 1 minute. Season with salt.

Spoon half of the sauce around the hens and serve with the remaining sauce.

Roasted Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa

4 to 6 dried chipotle chiles, stems discarded, or 4 to 5 chipotles in adobo sauce

6 large unpeeled garlic cloves

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed

Salt

Sugar (optional)

If using dried chiles, heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add half the chiles and toast, pressing down on them with a metal spatula, until they start to crackle. Turn and toast the other side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining chiles. Cover the chiles with hot water and let soften for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the chiles. If using canned chiles, simply wipe off the adobo.

Heat a dry griddle and toast the garlic, turning occasionally, until softened and blackened in spots about 15 minutes. Let cool, peel and roughly chop.

Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Spread the tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for about 8 minutes, turning once, or until blackened in spots and softened. Let cool.

Scrape the tomatillos and any accumulated juices into a food processor or blender and add the chiles and roasted garlic. Puree until thickened and smooth. For a chunkier salsa, pulse the tomatillos and roasted garlic until coarsely pureed. Finely chop the chiles and add them to the tomatillo mixture. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and stir in 6 to 8 tablespoons of water so the salsa has a spoonable consistency. Season with salt, plus a little sugar, if you want to soften the tangy edge.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Roasted Cornish Hens with Orange-Honey-Mustard Glaze

Marinade and Glaze

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped
2 each shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Chicken

6 each Rock Cornish game hens
orange slices, for garnish

Prepare the marinade and glaze: In a large nonaluminum bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk to mix well. Taste for seasoning.

Carefully separate the skin from the hens by slipping your fingers gently under the skin and loosening it, yet keeping it attached to the birds. Place the hens in the bowl with the marinade. Massage the marinade underneath the skin, being careful not to tear the skins. Rotate the hens until they are completely covered with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large jelly-roll pan or roasting pan with aluminum foil. Remove the hens from the marinade and place them in the lined pan. Roast the hens, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced and the skin is golden brown.

Place the hens on a serving platter or individual plates and garnish with the orange slices.

Cornish Hens with Grape Cognac Sauce

8 Cornish hens
Salt
pepper
Soda
1/2 cup of finely chopped ham
1 stick butter
1 cup of finely chopped onions
1/2 cup of finely chopped celery
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced
3 cups of soft white bread crumbs or
Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing
1 cup of finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of white pepper
1/2 cup of cognac

Wash and dry hens; rub cavities with equal parts of salt, pepper, and soda.

In a heavy skillet, sauté ham 3 to 4 minutes in 1 tablespoon butter. Remove ham and set aside.

Add 3 tablespoons butter and sauté onion with celery for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from fire and mix in bread crumbs, ham, parsley, and white pepper. Add cognac to moisten.

Stuff birds, coat with remaining softened butter, salt, and pepper lightly and place in a shallow roasting pan.

Sprinkle hens with 1/4 cup cognac and bake in 350ºF. oven for 45 minutes, brushing frequently with pan drippings and remaining cognac.

Transfer hens, halved if desired, to a heated serving dish and keep warm while preparing sauce.

SAUCE

2 pounds of seedless grapes, halved
1 cup of consommé
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of cognac
Salt
Pepper

To pan drippings, add grapes, consommé, butter, cognac, salt, pepper, and simmer until thoroughly heated. Serve over hens or in separate sauceboat.

Cranberry Rice Stuffed Cornish Hens

2/3 cup long grain rice
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups water
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
3/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
4 1 pound Cornish game hens
Orange Glaze

In a saucepan cook the rice in butter for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in water and chicken bouillon granules. bring the mixture to boiling. Reduce the heat. Cook, covered, over low heat until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cranberries, sugar, orange peel and orange juice.

Salt cavity of birds. Stuff each with cranberry mixture, push drumsticks under band of skin at tail or tie to tail. Place the birds on rack in shallow roasting pan.

Cover the hens loosely with foil and roast at 375F for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to roast for 1 hour longer, brushing occasionally with Orange Glaze.

Makes 4 servings.

Orange Glaze:
Combine 1/4 cup of orange juice and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Tandori-Style Game Hens with Corn and Cumin-Tomato Sauce

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
4 teaspoons serrano pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
6 each Cornish game hens, 1 1/2 pounds

SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
3 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped -about 2 pounds
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup whipping cream

CORN
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2 cups corn kernels, (from 4 ears)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

FOR HENS: Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Place hens in 15x10x2- inch glass baking dish. Pour buttermilk mixture over hens. Cover; chill overnight. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Transfer hens to heavy 17x11x1-inch baking pan. Sprinkle inside and outside of hens with salt and pepper. Pour marinade over. Bake until cooked through, basting occasionally with juices, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

MEANWHILE, PREPARE SAUCE: Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium- high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine and cumin; sauté until tomatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Puree mixture in blender; return to saucepan. Add cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

FOR CORN: Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn, cumin and turmeric; saute until corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon some of sauce onto center of each plate. Place hens atop sauce. Spoon corn onto plates, dividing equally

Cornish Game Hens with Peach Lime Glaze

3 Cornish game hens, split in half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup peach jam
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 packet sugar substitute

With a sharp butcher's knife, remove backbones from hen halves. Rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, mix jam, lime juice, lime rind, garlic, soy sauce and sugar substitute. Add hens, toss to coat. Marinate 1 hour, turning occasionally. Prepare a medium grill. Remove hens from glaze; reserve glaze.

Place hens skin side down on greased grill grate, not directly over heat. Cover and cook 25 minutes, until no longer pink inside and juices run clear. Put reserved glaze in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil for 1 full minute. Place hens directly over heat source for 5 minutes and brush with glaze for a crispy skin.

6 servings.

Mesquite Chipotle Marinated Cornish Hens

1 7 ounce can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
juice of one lime
2 tablespoons cumin seed
1 teaspoon oregano or marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 cup tequila
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons mesquite liquid smoke
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 to 8 Cornish hens

In a small pan toast the cumin seed, then grind to a powder in a spice mill. Mix with the oregano, black pepper, salt and sugar.

In a blender or food processor, add 1/2 a can of chipotles for medium hot or the full can for hot.

Add garlic cloves, tequila, liquid smoke, and the spice mixture drizzle oil in till the mixture emulsifies and is thick and smooth; then blend in the cilantro leaves.

If the mixture is too thick, it may be thinned out with the addition of a little water. Marinate hens in mixture for 12 hours.

Grill over hot coals until meat is no longer pink and outside is crispy.

Serves 6 to 8.