Cornish Hen Biryani Recipes

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:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
• Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat each Cornish hen with 2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Into the cavity of each bird, insert a lemon half, an onion quarter, half a garlic head and 3 thyme sprigs. Set aside.
• Spread the carrots and potatoes in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or roasting pan. Add the chicken broth and then the prepared Cornish hens. Roast until the juices run clear and the hens are golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Steps:

• Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the saffron and stir until it turns a few shades darker. Place the milk in a small cup and crumble in the saffron. Let stand for 3 hours. Place the rice in a large bowl, cover with water, stir in 1 tablespoon of the salt and let stand for 3 hours.
• Place the ginger and garlic in a blender with 2 tablespoons of water and blend to a fine paste, stopping several times to scrape the sides of the jar. Place the yogurt in a bowl and stir in the mint, coriander and chilies. Divide the cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves into 2 equal parts.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, fry the sliced onions until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of oil.
• Place half the spice mixture in the skillet, stir once and add the cumin seeds. Stir once and add the chopped onion. Cook until the edges begin to brown, then stir in the ginger mixture. Stir for 1 minute. Add the hens in 2 batches and cook until browned.
• With the hens in the skillet, lower the heat and stir in half of the yogurt mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, half the almonds, half the raisins, the lemon juice, ground cumin, cayenne and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in half the fried onions. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and the meat is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, place the hen mixture into a large, ovenproof pot. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 2 teaspoons of saffron milk into the remaining yogurt. Spread over the hen mixture. Drain the rice and place in the boiling water with the remaining spice mixture. Boil until almost tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and place over the yogurt mixture.
• Working quickly, make a well in center of rice and pour in remaining saffron milk. Cover with a damp dishcloth, then foil, then a lid. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer. To serve, stir the mixture to combine and season with more salt if needed. Place on a large platter and garnish with remaining fried onions, almonds and raisins.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the giblets from the hens, and rinse them inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outsides dry. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
• Pack the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast the hens for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix together.
• Yield: 2 servings