Cornish hen feeds how many

After the hens are completely thawed, turn them over so they are breast side down. Cut along each side of the backbone, removing and discarding the backbone. From this point, you can turn each bird over and flatten the whole hen or cut it in half along the breastbone and roast. A surefire way to guarantee that the hens will be moist is to brine them first. When ready to roast, remove from the brine and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels. If you prefer crisp skin, place the hens on a tray or in a baking dish and refrigerate overnight so the skin dries out.

This will also help seal in the juices and keep the meat moist. You can remove the skin after roasting if desired. Be sure to season the hens and place in the refrigerator overnight — or at least 1 hour before roasting — to dry the skin.

Also, make sure the hens are cooked through. If you plan on cooking them flat, cut the hens along each side of the backbone to flatten or cut in half entirely.

When soaked, wood burns longer and steams rather than burns, which produces a flavor unlike that of dry wood. Choose natural wood charcoal with no additives and start coals in a chimney coal starter. Step Four: Preheat smoker to to F. Add small wood logs or chunks to smoker, then place chicken, bone side down, on the grates.

Be sure to use a drip pan to collect grease. Close lid. Cook for 1 to 2 hours, or until meat thermometer registers F. Step One : Preheat deep fryer to F. If bird browns too quickly, lower temperature slightly, but no lower than F. Cut chicken in half, lengthwise. Step Two : Drying the skin is the key to perfectly fried Cornish chicken.

At a minimum and for the crispiest skin, dust hens with flour or corn starch before placing chicken in the deep fryer. To bread, dip birds in flour, then an egg wash and finally in Panko bread crumbs. Step Three : Be sure to season sufficiently, as some herbs and spices will flash off during the frying process. Add seasoning to flour and egg wash. Also consider seasoning after frying, by sprinkling BBQ rub or hickory seasoning over birds.

Step Four : Keep tongs close by, as birds cook faster in a deep fryer than in the oven. If chicken has been broken down into parts, frying should take no longer than 12 to 15 minutes. Check for doneness F with a meat thermometer. Cooking chicken in a water bath has its advantages, namely moisture retention, increased tenderness and shelf life — sealed meat will remain fresh in the refrigerator for two to three weeks.

Step One : Split raw chicken in half, lengthwise, and place pieces, along with garlic, herbs and other seasonings, in a cryovac bag.

Draw a vacuum and seal the bag. Note: Chicken can be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Step Two : Place pouch in a water bath set at a consistent temperature of F. After a minimum of three hours, remove bag from warm water and place in an ice bath. Bring temperature of product down as rapidly as possible and then refrigerate. Note: Pouch can remain in water bath for an extended period of time 6 to 7 hours without overcooking. Choose sides and sauces that let the delicate flavor of Cornish chicken shine.

Consider a simple gravy or sauce, along with roasted vegetables potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, etc. Whether you plan a formal dinner or a casual weeknight meal, Cornish hens make a delicious main course. Here, we share some of our favorite dinnertime recipes, including those developed by Mitzi Perdue for The Perdue Chicken Cookbook. After you pull the chicken from the oven, tent it with foil and let it rest undisturbed for at least 10 minutes to let the temperature come up another five to 10 degrees.

To achieve an extra-crispy skin, apply a glaze: Start the hen in a F oven for about 25 minutes, then lower the temperature to F for another 25 minutes, adding the glaze, if using, with about 15 minutes left.

There are many ways you can cook this tasty little bird, but here are some of the most common methods:. Cornish game hen tastes like delicate, sweet chicken with a soft, falling-off-the-bone texture that practically melts in your mouth.

Notwithstanding the creative name, there is nothing whatsoever gamy about it. Cornish game hen is the smallest of the commercial chicken family at between 1 and 2 pounds and less than five weeks old. The next step up is a broiler-fryer at about seven weeks old and 2. There is a great difference between the two, both in terms of taste and the texture of the meat.

While a young broiler is tender, a Cornish game hen is even more so. Besides size and age, the particular cross of the Cornish game hen creates larger breasts and more fat, which naturally bastes the meat while it cooks, making it even more tender. One could say that because the Cornish game hen is so young, it is not as flavorful as an older chicken that has had more time to develop flavor, but that is a question of personal taste.

A poussin chicken also known as a spring chicken , which must be less than four weeks old and weigh less than grams 26 ounces , could be considered comparable in many ways to a Cornish game hen, but the poussin chicken is not USDA rated and the breeding is different.

Among the USDA recognized categories, the one closest to Cornish game hen in terms of moistness and flavor is, ironically, the biggest and oldest of them all—a capon —whose large breasts and soft, buttery flesh most closely resemble that of the little Cornish game hen. As with most poultry these days, Cornish game hen can be conventionally raised, certified organic , or free range. These are different protocols for raising animals and do not necessarily indicate a hierarchy of taste or quality.

However, for many people, the way animals—or fruits and vegetables—are raised, makes a big difference above and beyond how it tastes. You can use Cornish game hen for almost any recipe that calls for bone-in chicken, but it does particularly well butterflied and grilled or roasted whole, either stuffed or not.

Cornish game hen can be purchased at almost any grocery store that sells poultry as well as butcher shops and specialty food stores. It is also possible to buy it from poultry farms that have a retail outlet or on websites of specialty meat and poultry purveyors.