Game Hens

By Ellie

8 Person

85 Minutes

324 Calories

Game hens are even easier to prepare than chicken and help make your celebration more festive. Their buttery flavor complements roasted Brussels sprouts and chestnuts.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. white-wine vinegar
16 oz. jarred roasted chestnuts, (2½ cups; see Shopping Tip)
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half if large (about 6 cups)
1 large red onion, peeled and cut through the root end into 8 wedges
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. butter
4 Cornish game hens, 1-1½ pounds each
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

Method

01

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
02

Remove giblets (if included) from game hens and trim any excess skin. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat and rub half the thyme mixture under the skin. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
03

Heat butter and oil in a large roasting pan set over 2 burners on medium heat. Add the game hens and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.
04

Add onion to the pan, transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and roast for 20 minutes. Stir chestnuts and the remaining thyme mixture into the pan. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes more.
05

Transfer the game hens to a large cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. Toss the vegetables with vinegar and bring to a simmer, gently stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Remove the string from the game hens, turn breast-side down and slice in half lengthwise using a large heavy knife, cutting straight through to the breast side. Serve the game hens with the vegetables.

Related Tags

Brussel Sprouts Recipes

Game Hens

4.5

( By Ellie )

Game hens are even easier to prepare than chicken and help make your celebration more festive. Their buttery flavor complements roasted Brussels sprouts and chestnuts.

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 8 servings
Calorie 324 Kcal
Prep Time 40 Mins
Cook Time 45 Mins
Total Time 85 Mins

02 Ingredients

2 tbsp. white-wine vinegar

16 oz. jarred roasted chestnuts, (2½ cups; see Shopping Tip)

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half if large (about 6 cups)

1 large red onion, peeled and cut through the root end into 8 wedges

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. butter

4 Cornish game hens, 1-1½ pounds each

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

03 Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Step 2

Remove giblets (if included) from game hens and trim any excess skin. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat and rub half the thyme mixture under the skin. Tie legs together with kitchen string.

Step 3

Heat butter and oil in a large roasting pan set over 2 burners on medium heat. Add the game hens and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 4

Add onion to the pan, transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and roast for 20 minutes. Stir chestnuts and the remaining thyme mixture into the pan. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Step 5

Transfer the game hens to a large cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. Toss the vegetables with vinegar and bring to a simmer, gently stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Remove the string from the game hens, turn breast-side down and slice in half lengthwise using a large heavy knife, cutting straight through to the breast side. Serve the game hens with the vegetables.

04 Author