HOW TO BRINE CORNISH GAME HENS RECIPES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme, rosemary and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Place a turkey-sized oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add hens. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard brine; pat hens dry., Meanwhile, place the peppercorns and garlic in a food processor; cover and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil and herbs; cover and process until smooth. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from hens; rub half the butter mixture under skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks; tie drumsticks together. Rub remaining butter mixture over skin., In a 15x10x1-in. baking pan, toss the Brussels sprouts and onions with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Place hens, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Bake at 450° until thermometer inserted in breast reads 165°, 35-40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if hens brown too quickly., Remove hens and vegetables to a serving platter; cover and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. If desired, garnish with additional herbs.

Steps:

• You need a tall narrow pot that will accomadate two hens with oil and still not be much more than half full.
• To see if your pot is big enough, put the hens in and fill with water to cover the hens.
• Make sure they can move easily and they are not tightly packed into the pot.
• Remove them and check water level.
• The water level is the amount of oil you will need to deep fry the hens.
• Make Master Brine if using.
• Rinse hens well with cold water.
• Add to cooled brine.
• I put them in a tall canister type bowl and the brine covered them completely.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking.
• Pour off brine and dry the hens with paper towels inside and out (important to keep oil from boiling over.).
• Leave them in a colander to drain and come up to room temperature.
• DO NOT LEAVE THEM SITTING AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.
• Once they reach room temperature, you need to go ahead and cook them.
• Heat oil to 375º.
• While oil is heating, mix 1/2 cup flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Lightly coat the first hen in the seasoned flour and shake off excess.
• When the oil reaches 375º, hold the hen by the legs and slowly lower it into the hot oil.
• Do this slowly to prevent the oil from boiling over.
• Once the first hen is lowered completely, coat the second hen.
• By the time you have the second hen coated, the oil temp should have come back up a little and you can go ahead and lower it into the oil with the other hen.
• Move the hens around making sure all sides are cooking evenly.
• The hens cook completely in 25 minutes or less.
• They will be a light golden brown.
• To hold the hens for 30 minutes, heat oven to 200º while frying and place a wire rack over a pan.
• Place the hens on wire rack in warmed oven.
• If you desire additional seasoning, you can add it to the flour before coating the hens or inject the birds.
• I don't recommend the injection because of the boil over possibilties with the hot oil.