Remove the birds from the oven, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve. You can serve the birds whole, or cut them in half for smaller portions. Make sure to take them out when the internal temperature reaches 160 or 165 degrees max. However, you do want a nice crispy skin. Pat your hens completely dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels before roasting or baking. If the skin is wet it will steam and won’t crisp up properly.
In a small bowl, stir together salt, garlic powder, rosemary, orange zest, pepper and paprika to make a rub, and set aside. Cornish hens may seem fancy, but this simple dish is a delicious and easy alternative to chicken or pork. This recipe calls for “spatchcocking” the hens. This is an old term that has come back into vogue. It is splitting a small bird down the back, then opening out and flattening the two sides like a book. Another term is “butterfly.” This allows the bird to cook evenly, without flipping.
How to Thaw Cornish Hen:
Browning the hens on the stovetop before you roast them helps give them color, Cookies Games – Cooking Games as well as perfectly crispy skin. Place the garlic, spices, lemon juice and olive oil in the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a blade. Blend until you reach a nice “pasty” consistency. A Cornish hen is basically a smaller breed of chicken . Because they are younger, Cornish game hens are also more tender than their larger chicken cousins.
- Using another 1/4 of the oil, coat both sides of the outside of the rock hen.
- Place the hens on the Cinder grill and set it to 167°F, close the lid and start cooking Use the app setting for poultry, dark meat falling off the bone.
- I’ll make this again when there’s a need to impress, it’s just that good.
- Their individual serving size also makes them perfect for entertaining.
Roast for 1 hour basting with pan juices every 20 minutes. Add butter to top of each Cornish Hen by places 1 Tablespoon pats of butter on top and around the hens in the roasting pan. To make them easier to eat , cut the birds in halves or quarters. Arrange cooked pieces on a bed of roasted vegetables, rice pilaf or mixed greens tossed with a little vinaigrette; that way, they won’t look skimpy. Like popcorn and peanut butter, Cornish game hens are an American culinary invention, a result of crossbreeding Cornish bantam roosters and Plymouth Rock hens.
MUST TRY RECIPES:
Add Wine and Chicken Broth to the bottom of roasting pan. Tie the legs of each hen together with cooking twine to keep stuffing in. If any Onion, Celery or Thyme are remaining, place in bottom of roasting pan. Get BBQ guides, recipes, and our free digital cookbook sent straight to your inbox. Crispy BBQ chicken wings bathed in a tangy hot sauce and served with a soothing creamy blue cheese dip.
Tuck Orange slices, more rosemary, thyme, and sage in and amongst the hens. You’ll notice I didn’t use a ton of fresh herbs. No need to remove the rind or peel. Just cut them into nice size chunks that can fit into the small cavity of the hen. Set aside while you season the hens. I stuffed these hens with all the flavors of Fall!
Place the stuffed hens, breast-side up in a medium pot or saucepan . Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon white pepper. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. You know it’s done by jiggling one leg; the meat will be so soft that the bone may fall right out. Golden brown and buttery, these roasted cornish game hens are stuffed with a flavorful wild rice stuffing for an elegant and impressive dinner.
My twin chicks with garlic bread, no veggies she hates. Like an astronaut I am ready to enter outer space. Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Place the chicken inside the Instant Pot and saute for 5 minutes. I love how this recipe is economical as well as so-so tasty. You can use it to create a yummy Cornish chicken sandwich or to soak up those gorgeous chicken juices.