I was walking through the grocery store the other day looking for inspiration when I passed the meat section and saw some Cornish Hens on sale, two for $9. I'd only tried them once before without much success, and I figured given the extra free time I find myself with lately was a perfect opportunity to give it another go. Plus you really can't beat dinner for two for that price [hubs eats for 3 usually], so I picked up a vidalia yellow onion and some baby red potatoes before checkout to complete the meal.
Interestingly enough, the day before I was tuned in to the Rachael Ray show and she had been cooking cornish hens using a method I hadn't heard of before, so the the timing couldn't be more coincidental. The hens I got were frozen, and so I started by thawing them for about two hours in a bowl of cold water, changed out every 30 minutes. This method is preferred over sticking them in the microwave on defrost or setting them out on the counter because it ensures they keep a more even cold temperature and you don't run the risk of them getting partially cooked on the thinner parts. Alternately, if you have time you can leave them in the fridge for a few days but I wasn't patient enough for that.
So on to the fun part! After a few hours of research on pinterest [don't tell me you wouldn't get distracted] I had narrowed down a marinade and cooking method to go with my new Rachael Ray technique, spatchcocking. Funny name, great results.
Start by removing your chickens from their packaging, and discarding the inner organs if supplied. (Dont yell at me, I don't know what to do with them yet!)
You'll need a cutting board and kitchen shears for this part; face the hen spine side up with the neck facing you. Begin on the right side of the spine, and cut down to the tail using the spine as a guide. Repeat on the left side and discard spine [or you can use it to make chicken broth]. You should now have an exposed inner cavity. Next flip the bird over and using your palms gently press the rib cage down into the cutting board to flatten; you may hear some cracking and that is okay.
At this point you have a few options for the wings; 1. remove them all together, 2, remove the thin wing tip, 3. leave them whole [tips will get crispy during cooking, but it does not ruin the taste]
Once you have repeated this with the second hen place them in a large gallon-sized ziplock bag with the marinade 1-24 hours in the bottom of the fridge. The particular marinade I chose has since been added to my top favorite marinade lists so I've included the recipe below, but here is the ingredient list just to get your mouth watering; EVOO, honey, fresh thyme, lemon juice & zest, lime juice & zest, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Once you are ready to make dinner preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Chop the onion and quarter the potato (you can also use tomato, carrot, squash, or any other favorites) and place them in the bottom of a roasting dish or 9x11 glass pan. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan and sprinkle salt and pepper. Place your hens on a baking rack (I used a metal cooling rack - works just the same!) and set the rack over the veggies - they shouldn't touch. Now pour the remaining marinade over top of the hens and stick them in the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Allow chicken to rest 3-5 minutes before cutting and serving. Use a slotted spoon for veggies, or let the meat soak up those juices on your plate - either way I'm sure this will be a new staple!
Lemon Thyme Marinade (for 2 game hens)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
4 teaspoons fresh thyme (7 oz)
3 garlic cloves, minced
zest & juice of 1 lemon
zest & juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Total prep time: 15 minutes + 1-24 hours for marinade
Total cook time: 45-60 minutes
This marinade recipe was found on Food.com, it is not my own
