Their title is deceiving, they are hens but they are not game birds. Also called the Poussin or Rock Cornish, it’s really just a small chicken. These are great if you are not into the whole turkey thing and want something easy to cook for Thanksgiving. They also make for a really pretty presentation. There are a lot of things you can do depending on the flavors that are striking your fancy. You can go citrusy or savory, sweet or spicy; any recipe you see for turkey can be adjusted to fit the size of your bird be it a full sized chicken or a game hen. In sticking with the rest of this menu, we’ll go with a little rosemary garlic stuffing. The ingredients will be measured per hen in this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 Cornish game hen
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 of an onion
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
olive oil
poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
a sprig or two of fresh rosemary and some fresh cranberries for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash hen in cold water inside and out and pat exterior dry with paper towel. Give the little hen a mini rubdown with a generous amount of olive oil. Place in the cavity: peeled garlic cloves, onion, 3/4 of the rosemary and sage. Sprinkle the outside of the hen with poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and remaining herbs. Arrange in a roasting pan on a rack (or small aluminum foil ‘s’ shapes) and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and roast for an additional 25 minutes or until juices run clear. The same principles apply here, the less disturbed the oven, the juicier the bird. Be sure to tent the birds with foil for at least 10 minutes upon removal from the oven before serving. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and cranberries.
Memoirs of My Family Kitchen 