What are Cornish hens?
Cornish hens are young chickens, around 28 days old, that are a hybrid of the Cornish breed of chicken, and any other type of chicken. Because of their young age, they are tender and moist. They're a bit pricier than normal roasting chickens, but they are certainly worth the extra dollars!
Ingredients:
- 2 or more Cornish hens, washed, dried, and gizzards removed.
- 4 Potatoes, peeled.
- 2 Large onions
- 1 Carrot, peeled
- 2 Celery stalks
- 1 Lemon, halved.
- 1 Tablespoon dry thyme
- A dash of white wine
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
I recommend a large roasting pan as showed in the picture below to roast your hens and vegetables in. It allows for all the vegetables to be exposed on one side so they can brown and get all delicious and flavorful. (I just LOVE crusty brown bits on my potatoes!!)
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Start by peeling and dicing all of your vegetables. We want a medium dice, nothing too small, or too big. We're looking for a nice texture, something that will lend to a nice mouthfeel with a bite of chicken.
Throw all of your veggies in the roasting pan, drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, and season liberally with enough salt and pepper to give them flavor; be careful not to over-do it on the salt. One thing that can ruin a dish instantly is over-salting. The opposite is also true - dishes will also be lackluster if you under-salt, so just be sure to get the proportions correct. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the thyme, and save the rest for rubbing on the chicken. To really kick the veggies up a notch, put a splash of white wine in - it REALLY gives a nice, fruity flavor. Toss to combine the veggies and seasonings.
Stick one half of a lemon in the cavity of each chicken. Next, rub a bit of olive oil all over the chicken, enough so that all of it is covered, but not dripping. Sprinkle the rest of the thyme on top, and season with salt and pepper.
And that's it! It's so simple, and only takes about 15 minutes to prep (mostly cutting the veggies). Stick it in the oven for one hour. After one hour has elapsed, flip the hens and roast for 10 minutes. Flip them one last time so they are right side up, and roast for another 5 minutes.
After you take them out of the oven, LET THEM SIT! I cannot stress this enough. Meat needs a good 10 minutes to set after it has been taken out of the oven or off the grill for the juices to settle. If you cut into it now, all of those delicious juices are going to leak out!
This is a delicious and easy recipe to make that can feed 4-5 people easily. The potatoes are crispy and brown, the onions get a bit caramelized, and the white wine gives them all a great fruity flavor.
Feel free to comment with requests of recipes that you would like to see.
Signing out,
The Minimalist Chef
