ANY CORNISH HEN TIPS?

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

I bought a couple on sale yesterday and they are thawing. In a conversation with the meat dept manager, I'd asked him about any "tips" he had. I was surprised to learn that he'd had a few customers complain to him that in the roasting process, by the time the body was cooked, the little drumsticks were charred and inedible. "Don't overcook them" was his comment.

Huh? So, maybe stuffing them is a bad idea?

It's been ages since I've prepared them, and really don't recall what I did to them.

So ....if you want the end result to be a crispy-ish skin covering .... what would you suggest?

(TIA to all that make suggestions)

gizmogal · ‎05-09-2014

Perdue has provided a cooking guide for Cornish hens. Perhaps it will be helpful since it's not specific recipes but more of a prep and cooking guide with some tips for different cooking methods.

I'll bet your little hens come out terrific. Bon appetit!

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

I used to split and broil them. Those wings have no meat on them anyway...

♥Surface of the Sun♥

kittyloo · ‎03-11-2010

@Tinkrbl44 i remember as a kid, in the '60's, these were always served when the parents were having company over.

they were stuffed with wild rice pilaf, and basted with a mixture of red currant jelley and melted butter.

always a hit.

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

We always do them on Cornish hen sized Spaneks ( available on Amazon). Bake in a preheated oven over a cake pan filled with water and bash with butter: divine!

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

My mother used to bake cornish hens in the oven after spreading a mixture of apricot preserves, apricot brandy, and garlic powder on the skin. They were so delicious! Wish I had the exact proportions to attempt it myself. Perhaps I will just give it a try one day. Good luck to you! Perhaps cooking it longer on a lower temperature? I am sure the Food Network has cooking times for their different recipes. Let us know how it works out for you.

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

I cut my CH in half. I also cut the "butt" off & trash it.

I then wash the halves. Dry w/paper towels.

I take a roasting fork & poke holes all over the halves.

Place in a roasting pan & season w/sea salt, pepper, Accent.

Then I pour Teriyaki Sauce over the halves.

Last but not least, I pour Italian salad dressing over the 2 halves.

Sprinkle paprika over the halves<------optional

I rub both halves to mix all of the seasonings all over the hens.

I cover the hens inside the roasting pan w/aluminum foil & place in the fridge overnight.

I have a convection counter top oven...........

Set temp to 325 degrees. (regular oven-350 degrees)

Set timer to 1 1/2 hours

Remove chicken from fridge

Use the juices from the pan & baste the chicken.

Put in oven

After 30 minutes, baste chicken.

Every 10 minutes or so, check chicken until you get the desire "brownish" color you want.

The color I like takes 1 hour. May take a little longer in a regular oven.

=======================================

The one time I cooked cornish hens whole was when I rotisseried (sp) it. My apt & the hallways smelled really good! The hens came out extra juicy. Now my oven cleanup was a 2 hour chore. NEVER, EVER AGAIN!!!!!

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

PART II

Sometimes I BBQ the hens.

Instead of using Italian dressing, I pour/brush BBQ sauce over the halves.

I do not set in fridge overnight.

After 30 minutes, I pou/brushr more BBQ sauce over the halves.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

KingstonsMom · ‎03-09-2010

@Jersey Born wrote:
My mother used to bake cornish hens in the oven after spreading a mixture of apricot preserves, apricot brandy, and garlic powder on the skin. They were so delicious! Wish I had the exact proportions to attempt it myself. Perhaps I will just give it a try one day. Good luck to you! Perhaps cooking it longer on a lower temperature? I am sure the Food Network has cooking times for their different recipes. Let us know how it works out for you.

Your Mom's recipe reminds me of our favorite, except we use orange marmalade....yum!

Nice crispy skin, so flavorful!

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@Mz iMac

Wow, great information!

One thing that I found a little confusing .... the oven temps varied so much. The Joy of Cooking said 450 degrees, somewhere else said preheat to 425, then put bird in and reduce to 350 degrees ... and a couple other opinions.

And I'm not sure which outcome is the better for what I want.

Since I was hoping for moist and juicy, with a little crispiness to the skin, should the temperature matter more ... or whether I'm using butter or oil on the bird's skin?