So who said Chicken isn’t for Christmas? Not me! One can still get Chicken and Ham for under a dollar a pound. All one has to do is dress it up as you would any other dish. Here’re some ideas:
Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
All you have to do is garnish this Platter with Red Grapes, Grape Tomatoes, whatever Red, and it’s Christmas. Substitute Sage and Orange Juice for the Rosemary & Lemon or your preference.
Ingredients
1. 1 chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
2. 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
3. Salt
4. Fresh-ground black pepper
5. 4 3-inch-long strips lemon zest
6. 1 small onion, quartered
7. 1 tablespoon olive oil
8. 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
9. 1/2 cup water
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 425°. Rub the cavity of the chicken with the dried rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and then stuff with the strips of lemon zest and the quartered onion. Twist the wings behind the back of the chicken and tie the legs together. Put the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Coat the chicken with the oil and sprinkle it with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and the 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
2. Roast the chicken until it is just done, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the bird to a plate and leave to rest in a warm spot for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Set the pan over moderate heat and add the water. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Boil until reduced to approximately 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Serve the bird with the pan juices.
CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SAGE BUTTER
Ingredients
• 4 (1 3/4-pound) Cornish game hens, butterflied
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 5 to 7 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zested
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, for sauteing
• 4 strips bacon, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place hens on a sheet tray fitted with a cooling rack in the refrigerator to dry skin out for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, melt butter with sage, zest, salt and pepper. Remove hens from refrigerator. Preheat 2 large saute pans over medium heat, lightly coat with oil. Season hens with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, in the pans. Sear until skin caramelizes and turns golden brown and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Flip birds over, and baste with sage butter. Sprinkle tops with chopped bacon and place in preheated oven to finish cooking, 25 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Honey Game Hens
(Paula Deen)
Ingredients
• 6 Cornish game hens (about 3/4 to 1 pound each)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
Directions
Rinse hens, trim off excess fat, and pat dry; place in bowl. Put garlic and ginger in food processor and process until nearly smooth. In another bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, oil, orange juice, and zest. Add the garlic and ginger. Pour mixture over game hens, coating well. Refrigerate overnight, turning in marinade several times.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place game hens in shallow roasting pan; pour marinade on top. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. Remove hens to serving platter. Pour cooking juices into small, heavy saucepan and boil for 4 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Pour over hens just before serving. Serve with sesame noodles or rice pilaf. These hens can also be grilled; just remember to baste often.
Asian Cornish Hens with Asparagus and Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
1. 6 tablespoons soy sauce
2. 1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 limes)
3. 1/4 cup cooking oil
4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 teaspoon ground ginger
6. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 2 Cornish hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each), halved
9. 1 pound asparagus
10. 2/3 pound portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4-inch slices, or 6 ounces sliced portobello mushrooms
Directions
1. Light the grill. In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, oil, garlic, ginger, pepper, and salt. Put the hens into two large glass dishes. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinade over them and turn to coat. Let marinate, turning once, for 10 minutes.
2. Cook the hens over moderate heat for 12 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 12 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, snap off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus. In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus spears with 2 tablespoons of the remaining marinade and grill for about 12 minutes, turning once.
4. In the same bowl, toss the mushrooms with the remaining 2 tablespoons marinade and grill for about 5 minutes per side. Serve the hens with the asparagus and mushrooms alongside.
CORNISH HENS & FIG GLAZE --CORNBREAD STUFFING
(Tyler Florence)
Now this one gets a bit involved, closer to what one would do at Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups dried California figs, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, for the glaze
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
Stuffing:
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
• 1/4 pound loose sweet Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cornbread muffins , torn into pieces, or 1/2 loaf cornbread, cubed (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup rehydrated dried figs, roughly chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
• 4 Cornish game hens, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
** Begin by re-hydrating the figs. In a large mixing bowl add the figs, honey, lemon juice and cover with warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 25 minutes until the figs are tender and soft. Strain the figs and reserve the liquid - as this will be the base for the glaze.
** To make the stuffing, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onions with rosemary. Add the sweet Italian sausage and continue to saute until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. When done, scrape it all into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces and figs and season well with salt and pepper. Give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and set it aside while you work on the hens.
** Wash and clean the birds. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and fill with stuffing. Dot the top of each bird with butter and season with salt and pepper. Lay out on a roasting tray and pop into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
** While they are roasting, set the fig liquid over medium-high heat and add balsamic and butter. Reduce until syrupy and baste the birds with 10 minutes to go.
** When done, an instant-read thermometer should registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
You know I love the Cornish Game Hen with Fig Glaze!!!!!!!!! 
