Thread: Cooking cornish hen question

I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark

On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:30:17 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"FERRANTE" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]. .
>>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
>> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
>> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
>> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>
>> Mark
>
>MY favorite roasting pan is a cast iron fry pan. If you seal them in foil,
>they will steam, not roast, and the skin will be rubbery.

Thanks, I have a nice cast iron Dutch oven that will do the trick. Do
you think it would be all right to add some potatoes on the side
inside the Dutch oven? Also, these are average size birds and I have
two of them. What temp would you cook them at and for about how long?
It does not say on the wrapper as far as I can see.

Thanks!
Mark

>>>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
>>> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
>>> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
>>> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>>
>>> Mark
>>
>>MY favorite roasting pan is a cast iron fry pan. If you seal them in foil,
>>they will steam, not roast, and the skin will be rubbery.
>
> Thanks, I have a nice cast iron Dutch oven that will do the trick. Do
> you think it would be all right to add some potatoes on the side
> inside the Dutch oven? Also, these are average size birds and I have
> two of them. What temp would you cook them at and for about how long?
> It does not say on the wrapper as far as I can see.
>
> Thanks!
> Mark

Here's my standard method for game hens:


* Exported from MasterCook *

Game Hens

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time 00
Categories : Chicken & Poultry Company
Convection Oven

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon butter or margarine -- melted
1 teaspoon seasoned salt -- Lowry's
1 each rock cornish game hen
1 cup stuffing

Stuff hens with prepared stuffing. Brush with melted butter. Roast on rack
in 375 degrees oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until done.

Decrease cooking time to about 1 hour if using convection oven.

FERRANTE wrote:
> I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Mark


No point in covering them with foil at all. You can pick up a tinfoil
roasting/baking pan in practically any grocery store or dollar store. Just
roast the hen in one of those. Brush with a little butter, sprinkle with
salt & pepper. The instructions are on the bag the cornish hen comes in.

They used to be (not all of them are) stuffed with the gizzards. Check to
make sure you don't leave them inside because they're usually wrapped in
paper if they are in there. They aren't terribly difficult to cook. They
are terribly tasty, though I roasted a couple last Christmas.

Jill

On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:43:57 -0600, FERRANTE
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:30:17 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>"FERRANTE" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected] ..
>>>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
>>> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
>>> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
>>> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>>
>>> Mark
>>
>>MY favorite roasting pan is a cast iron fry pan. If you seal them in foil,
>>they will steam, not roast, and the skin will be rubbery.
>
>Thanks, I have a nice cast iron Dutch oven that will do the trick. Do
>you think it would be all right to add some potatoes on the side
>inside the Dutch oven? Also, these are average size birds and I have
>two of them. What temp would you cook them at and for about how long?
>It does not say on the wrapper as far as I can see.
>
How big is your dutch oven? Sounds huge. If yours is like mine, you
could lay the cornish hens on a bed of cubed potatoes to roast.

This recipe looks like it would cook both the cubed potatoes and the
chicken at about the same time.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...d-Game-Hens-62


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

FERRANTE <[email protected]>
news:[email protected]: in rec.food.cooking

> I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?

Mark, just about any seasoning etc. you would use on chicken can be
applied to the Cornish hens. You can go with very simple to really
jazzed up. As for the roasting pan; If you don't want to invest in one
right now you can buy one of those toss away roasting pans made of
aluminum in any grocery store. They cost about a buck. If you can't do
that, an oven proof casserole dish would do. I don't think I'd try the
glass dish covered in foil thing. You can braise them if you don't want
to roast them. The following is a recipe I've used for braising and it's
adaptable enough for you to adjust about any way you want to. I think I
got this from the allrecipes.com website quite some time ago but I'm not
sure.


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth, divided use
14 ounces turnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
12 ounces baking potatoes, baked until tender
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 (about 20 ounces each) Cornish game hens
1 Tablespoon (about) browning sauce (such as Gravy Master or Kitchen
Bouquet)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup Calvados, Applejack, or brandy
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
Red and green apple wedges and watercress for garnish

Preparation:
Place 1-1/4 cups of the chicken broth, turnips, apples, onions, oregano,
thyme, nutmeg, and rosemary in a heavy saucepan. Cover and simmer about
30 minutes until turnips are tender. Drain off liquid, reserving for
later use, and return vegetables to the saucepan.

Cut baked potatoes in half. Scoop out the flesh and add to the turnips in
the saucepan along with 1 teaspoon butter, salt, and pepper. Coarsely
mash the vegetables, leaving some large lumps. Let cool to room
temperature.

Rub the skin of the Cornish hens with the browning sauce. (This helps
give that golden finish without adding flavor.) Stuff the hens with the
vegetable mixture. Sew or skewer openings shut and tie legs together.

Preheat oven at 425 degrees F.

Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high
heat. When hot, add the olive oil and butter, swirling to coat the bottom
of the pan. Brown Cornish hens on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Place
browned hens on a platter and keep warm.

Add Calvados to the skillet and boil, scraping up any browned bits, about
30 seconds. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth, apple juice, and
reserved liquid from the vegetables. Boil briskly until thickened, about
5 minutes.

Return Cornish hens, breast-side up to the skillet and spoon liquid over
the tops. Place in preheated oven, uncovered, and bake about 30 minutes
until tender. Baste with the pan juices every 10 minutes.

To serve, remove strings and skewers. Cut each Cornish hen in half
lengthwise and place on a platter. Garnish with apple slices and
watercress and pass the pan juices in a gravy boat.

Yield: 6 servings

Michael


--
"Men are pigs, but I love pork!"
~ Carson Kressley

Find me at: - michael at lonergan dot us dot com

"FERRANTE" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Thanks, I have a nice cast iron Dutch oven that will do the trick. Do
> you think it would be all right to add some potatoes on the side
> inside the Dutch oven? Also, these are average size birds and I have
> two of them. What temp would you cook them at and for about how long?
> It does not say on the wrapper as far as I can see.
>
> Thanks!
> Mark

If you add the potatoes, the cooking time may increase a little if space get
tight. With room around them, I'd cook at 375 for about an hour. Add the
potatoes and add maybe 15 minutes. Best to check with a meat thermometer
and take them to 160.

I'd also put a couple of carrots or celery stalks on the bottom to keep the
hens out of the drippings.

On Sat 15 Nov 2008 05:09:53p, FERRANTE told us...

> I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Mark
>

First off, Mark, roasting pans are cheap. Why don’t you buy one?

If not, a glass baking dish lined with foil, then sprayed with a quick
release spray like Pam or Crisco will work just fine. You don’t really need
a rack. Elevate the hens on a bed of celery sticks, carrot sticks, and
onions.

Seasoning? That opens up a lot of choices. You can go completely savory by
adding onions and garlic cloves to the cavity, along with rubbing the skin
with butter and poultry seasoning. Lemon slices are good too, slipped under
the skin.

You could also make a stuffing, sweet or savory. They could also be glazed
with a fruit glace like orange or cherry.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Saturday, 11(XI)/15(XV)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till U.S. Thanksgiving Day
1wks 4dys 2hrs 42mins
************************************************** **********************
I came, I saw, she conquered.
************************************************** **********************

In article <[email protected]>,
FERRANTE <[email protected]> wrote:

> I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Mark

A glass dish will work fine, but I never bother to cover them.
A number of flavorings will work. I most often use garlic powder, fresh
or ground rosemary and a little black pepper.
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

In article <[email protected]>,
FERRANTE <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:30:17 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"FERRANTE" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]. .
> >>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> >> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> >> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> >> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance for your help.
> >>
> >> Mark
> >
> >MY favorite roasting pan is a cast iron fry pan. If you seal them in foil,
> >they will steam, not roast, and the skin will be rubbery.
>
> Thanks, I have a nice cast iron Dutch oven that will do the trick. Do
> you think it would be all right to add some potatoes on the side
> inside the Dutch oven? Also, these are average size birds and I have
> two of them. What temp would you cook them at and for about how long?
> It does not say on the wrapper as far as I can see.
>
> Thanks!
> Mark

350 for maybe 45 minutes tops. Cornish hens are delicate.

Spuds might need to be cooked a bit longer.
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

Omelet wrote:

> 350 for maybe 45 minutes tops. Cornish hens are delicate.
>
> Spuds might need to be cooked a bit longer.

I typically do two birds at a time. The average for my oven (at the same
temp) is 1 hr., 15 min. Sometimes 1.5 hrs.

I do like spatch-cocked bird, and on the grill it's wonderful. I think
it was America's Test Kitchen that I learned about using skewers that
made it easier to cook and maneuver the birds on a grill when spatch-cocked.

Seasonings are as simple as salt, pepper and garlic. I do put a little
olive oil on the birds as well. I have brined them before, but it was a
bit too salty on the finish. I found brining to be a bit of overkill on
such delicate little darlings.

I'm with you on the potatoes. I love roasted taters, but I always
parboil them in salted water and add them during the last 30-45 minutes
of my cook time.

--Lin

In article <[email protected]>,
Lin <[email protected]> wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> > 350 for maybe 45 minutes tops. Cornish hens are delicate.
> >
> > Spuds might need to be cooked a bit longer.
>
> I typically do two birds at a time. The average for my oven (at the same
> temp) is 1 hr., 15 min. Sometimes 1.5 hrs.
>
> I do like spatch-cocked bird, and on the grill it's wonderful. I think
> it was America's Test Kitchen that I learned about using skewers that
> made it easier to cook and maneuver the birds on a grill when spatch-cocked.
>
> Seasonings are as simple as salt, pepper and garlic. I do put a little
> olive oil on the birds as well. I have brined them before, but it was a
> bit too salty on the finish. I found brining to be a bit of overkill on
> such delicate little darlings.
>
> I'm with you on the potatoes. I love roasted taters, but I always
> parboil them in salted water and add them during the last 30-45 minutes
> of my cook time.
>
> --Lin

I've spatchcocked and grilled cornish hens too. They are wonderful that
way!
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

"FERRANTE"
>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Mark

Most of what Ed said is what I would advise, EXCEPT do not line with foil
because then you can't slosh a bit of wine in and grt the browned bits off
for a sauce. You'll end up losing a lot of flavor in the dishwater.
I would not use my dutch oven because the sides are too high for good heat
circulation. Lower is better.

"Giusi" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> "FERRANTE"
>>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
>> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
>> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
>> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>
>> Mark
>
> Most of what Ed said is what I would advise, EXCEPT do not line with
> foil because then you can't slosh a bit of wine in and grt the browned
> bits off for a sauce. You'll end up losing a lot of flavor in the
> dishwater. I would not use my dutch oven because the sides are too
> high for good heat circulation. Lower is better.
>
>
>

Most frypans can take at least 350F....put the bird(s) in a frypan. No
lid, this will allow for making gravy on top of the stove, later on.

The 350F restriction is mostly due to plastic handles...if your cookwear
has metal handles go nutz.

OR

A cookie sheet will work in a pinch if it has a decent sized lip
surrounding it. Cut the birds in half, place each half bird on a pile of
stuffing (on the cookie sheet), season to your liking and go to town. The
stuffing will absorb most of any liquids and the lip will prevent spillage
from what the stuffing doesn't handle. I usually make up a stuffing by
adding dried diced appricots etc... to a store bought prepared stuffing
mix (not stovetop).

Convection ovens do a fine job on birds.

--

The beet goes on -Alan

>>
>How big is your dutch oven? Sounds huge. If yours is like mine, you
>could lay the cornish hens on a bed of cubed potatoes to roast.

Actually, the dutch oven is about 10 inches across and quite deep. I
think it will work well. The recipe sounds good and thank you for it.

Mark

On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:09:53 -0600, FERRANTE
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
>roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
>foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
>spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>
>Thanks in advance for your help.
>
>Mark

I would think anything you do with chicken, you can do here.

FWIW We had a discussion at one of our little Dinner Clubs over
Cornish Game hens and the consensus was they are just young chickens.
We all remarked how we'd never seen a Cornish Game hen farm. So after
some googling, we discovered that there used to be Cornish Game hen
farms, and there may be a few still left, but now Cornish Game Hens-
for the most part are just young small chickens.

aloha,
Cea
roast beans to kona to email
farmers of Pure Kona

Wow, thanks everyone for all the great ideas. I certainly appreciate
everyone's advice and I will post my results as well. Maybe I will do
as others have done and take a pic to post of the end result.

You do remember my pics of my first attempt at making meatballs, don't
you...

Thanks again!
Mark

On Nov 15, 7:09 pm, FERRANTE <manthonyferra...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I plan on cooking a couple of Cornish hens Sunday, but I do not have a
> roasting pan. I have never cooked these before. Would sealing them in
> foil work? A glass dish covered in foil? Also, any suggestions on any
> spices to add that might enhance the flavor of the birds?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Mark

I make do with the bottom of my broiler pan or I bet even a glass
baking dish would do.

No problems!
Just put those boys right on the rack of the oven with a cookie sheet
UNDER them to catch the drippings, on the lower rack. It might be a
good idea to cover the cookie sheet with foil and make a little edge to
make sure the drippings STAY on the cookie sheet and not run into your
oven, naking a mess.

Or, you could mkake a "pan" out of the foil by putting down two or three
layers and folding the edges up.

OR you can just buy one of those alumininum disposable pans they sell
this time of year for turkeys.

I dont own a real roasting pan, either---I always "fake" it. Those
disposable ones are a godsend.

Lass