I, your humble servant, Jose Mier, offer yet another taste of sophistication for your next dinner party. There’s something about the size of Cornish Game Hens that bring a smile to anyone they’re served to. Your guest will enjoy it too.
Traditionally, Cornish Game Hens are the name that the USDA assigns to specific chickens. These small size chickens are cross bred to result in a great main course. But the Cornish Game Hens will need to be prepared in advance. Estimate the number of people and make your Cornish Game Hens well in advance. That should be a crowd pleasing item, because of the stately look of the bird. The legs are tied and the chicken is baked with other vegetables. The end result will be a well browned chicken that is paired with vegetables. It has a savory aroma when the cooking process is finished.
The fowl will usually weigh about 2.5 pounds at the butcher. They are much smaller than typical chickens used for cooking. The Cornish Game Hens are served at dinners for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Olive oil is often used to baste the bird before it is cooked. Then herbs like rosemary and thyme can be laid on the Cornish Game Hens. That provides more flavor to seep in to the bird while cooking. Expert cooks have their own recipes for baking the Cornish Game Hens. The Saturday Evening Post ran a story about the Cornish Game Hens during the 1950’s decade and they’ve recently added Emeril Lagasse’s version online.
The breed of Cornish Game Hens are often bred to develop large breast meat. They are also slaughtered while young, especially as compared to other chicken breeds. The Cornish Game Hens are considered to be a tender meat. The small weight means that several Cornish Game Hens are often served. But it is easy to buy the Cornish Game Hens from a local market. A butcher might sell them in a bundle. Set a budget for buying the Cornish Game Hens if possible. That will keep the cook on track for the meal too.
Looking for Cornish game hen on the menu in Sun Valley, CA? Me too! You don’t often find them on menus so make the effort and cook them up yourself. It will be worth it.