Marinated Cornish Game Hens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the gamey taste out of Cornish hens? ›

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water.

Roast, uncovered, basting frequently with butter for 1 hour (if hen weighs over 1lb 2oz, roast 1 hour and 15 minutes) or until internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 180°F when inserted into inner thigh.

A Cornish Game Hen is a Cornish cross bird that is processed around 4-5 weeks old that results in a bird that is 2 pounds or less. This classification is set by the USDA. At this small size, the skin of the bird is thinner, the meat is more tender and this allows for better absorption of marinades, spices, and sauces.

These Cornish hens are best roasted at high temperatures in the oven for flavor and ease. There are many ways to enhance the flavor of these by stuffing them or coating them in a dry rub seasoning. I like to serve these for small-gathering holidays or special events when I don't want to cook a whole turkey.

Animals that are young or female (or young and female) will taste the best and have a slightly higher fat content. Regardless, you can cut the gaminess of any meat by soaking it first in some milk. This is just like the trick to make fish unfishy. Always use a binder when working with ground meat.

Soak the meat in buttermilk overnight.

Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The lactic acid in the buttermilk will tenderize the meat and draw out some of its gamey flavor.

An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes or until meat tested with a digital meat thermometer registers 180 F. Tips: To prevent loss of moisture, let chicken rest for 5 to 8 minutes before carving. To maintain a crispy, crunchy skin, do not tent bird with foil after removal from oven.

Allow your hens to sit out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to come to room temp then preheat the oven to 350°. Quarter up the onions, peel the garlic leaving it whole, and quarter the lemon (remove zest before cutting).

Cornish hens cost the grower and integrator more to raise. They are slow growing and their feed contains higher protein content throughout the growing cycle.

Why is my Cornish hen tough? ›

One of the primary contributors to tough chicken meat is the age of the bird at the time of slaughter, Knight said. “As the [bird] gets older the muscle fibers become tough,” he said. “So a 2-year-old hen or 3-year-old farm rooster is going to be tough.”

Nutrition. Cornish hens' adolescence also contributes to a lower fat content. Since they are comprised of primarily white meat, Cornish hens are very lean and rich in niacin, which can help lower cholesterol and boost brain function.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen.

The current official definition of a Cornish hen is as follows: A “Rock Cornish game hen” or “Cornish game hen” is a young, immature chicken (less than 5 weeks of age), of either sex, with a ready-to-cook carcass weight of not more than 2 pounds.

Lay a wire rack in the bottom of a big roasting pan and place 6 Cornish game hens on it. If you don't have a wire rack that fits the pan, bunch up a few pieces of aluminum foil and place these on the bottom of the pan. You can easily cut this recipe in half or a third if you only want to make 2 or 3 hens.

Many hunters suggest soaking your game meat in vinegar. However, vinegar's acidity can often dry the meat, making it especially tough. Instead, try soaking the meat in milk or even buttermilk, which will produce better results with most wild animals, especially when dealing with backstraps.

If you've never tried Cornish hens and are wondering about the flavors, they have a slightly stronger, more gamey taste than chicken but are not as flavorful as a quail. The taste is light and savory, especially when well seasoned. Each hen will make two servings, giving each person a half a bird.

It may seem counterintuitive, but actually leaving meat tender and rare can make it tastes less gamey. Gaminess is actually amplified the more meat is cooked. For roasts, cook it low and slow. For steak, leave it medium done.

Chef Daniel Volponi says gaminess, like so much in life, boils down to diet and exercise. "You have a very distinct, almost metallic flavor in game that can be the result of a higher iron content. Anything that is wild and not farm-raised is going to have a more active lifestyle, with a more active heart rate.