Smoked Cornish Hens for Man Food Mondays

My husband cooks a lot – mostly grilling, smoking, or German food, but he does cook a lot, so I have coerced him into doing a weekly post for me on Mondays.  Next week, I will try to get it up earlier in the day.  He has been using the smoker quite a bit lately, so I am going to have do a tutorial soon on beginning smoking – maybe not by next Monday because we have kind of a crazy week, but soon.

In the mean time, this recipe is delicious.  The hens are marinated in an orange mixture and then smoked with oranges, garlic, onions, and basil.  Yum!  I know you are going to love this one!

My husband cooks his hens on these vertical racks, but you don’t have to if you don’t have them.

This is how they look inside the smoker.

Still in the smoker, but this time cooked.

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Smoked Cornish Hens for Man Food Mondays

Prep 24 hours

Cook 4 hours

Total 28 hours

Author Steve Hilton

Yield 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups white wine
• 3 cups orange juice
• 2 Tbsps. honey
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 tsps. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground red pepper
• 4 Cornish hens
• 6 clove garlic
• 2 tsps. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 large orange
• 8 large basil leaves

Instructions

1. Stir together first six ingredients in a large pot or bowl.
2. Submerge Cornish hens in mixture.
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
4. Remove hens from marinade and blot dry with paper towels. Remove the onions from the marinate and reserve onions and marinade.
5. Heat the smoker to 325 degrees. If using a water smoker, add marinade to the bowl.
6. Mix together garlic, black pepper 3 Tbsps. kosher salt, and paprika. Rub over hens.
7. Slice the orange and then halve the slices. Stuff hen cavities with orange slices and onions from the marinade.
8. Place a basil leaf underneath each wing.
9. Smoke for about two hours. At this point the wood should burn up, but continue to cook over hot coals for another two hours.

Courses Entree

Cuisine American

This recipe was shared on Foodie Friends Friday.