Spatchcock Cornish Hen With Salad Recipes

CORNISH GAME HEN: SPATCHCOCK HEN

Steps:

• Preheat a panini press on high.
• Place the game hen breast side down on a cutting board. Using scissors or poultry shears, cut from the neck to the tailbone to remove the backbone. Once you remove the backbone you will be able to see the inside of the bird. Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breastbone to reveal the keel bone. Grab the bird with both hands on the ribs and open up like a book, facing down towards the cutting board. Remove the keel bone. Cut small slits in the skin of the bird behind the legs and tuck the drumsticks into them in order to hold them in place. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Spray the bottom of the panini press with the nonstick cooking spray. Place the bird, skin side up onto the press, pray the skin side with non-stick cooking spray and close the lid. Top the press with a 10-pound weight and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
• Allow to rest 3 minutes before serving.

HOW TO SPATCHCOCK CORNISH HENS RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• To start, grab kitchen shears or a sharp knife. I used all-purpose kitchen scissors. Place hen or chicken breast-side down and cut along one side of the backbone. Repeat with the other side. Don't discard the backbone as you can use it later for stock. Flip the bird over and using the palm of your hand, press down on the breastbone. Use your muscles for this and you'll hear a snap. Presto, you have now spatchcocked! To barbecue the cornish hen, season to your preference and cook over a medium heat 20 to 25 minutes (turning halfway). Note: Remove wing tips if barbecuing as they tend to burn easily. If using an oven, preheat to 425 degrees and roast cornish hens 40 to 50 minutes or until thickest part of breast reaches 165 degrees, allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!

SHEET PAN THANKSGIVING CORNISH HEN DINNER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray.
• Arrange potatoes, carrots, and onion on the sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning on top.
• Mix butter and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning together until well blended.
• Rinse hens well, inside and out, under cool running water. Remove bag from inside the cavity. Pat the hens dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Make a pocket between the skin and the meat with your fingers, being careful not to rip the skin.
• Divide butter mixture between the hens and place it between the breast meat and skin. Place hens on top of the potato and onion mixture. Season the outsides with salt, pepper, and remaining Italian seasoning. Place lemon inside the cavity of the hen. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the sheet pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until hens are nicely browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Tent the hens with foil during the last few minutes of cooking to prevent overbrowning, if needed. 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.
• Meanwhile, drain about 1/2 cup of the pan drippings from beneath the vegetables into a small saucepan to start the gravy. Bring to a boil. Mix flour and cold water together and add to the pan drippings, whisking until desired consistency is reached. Serve gravy alongside Cornish hens.

SPATCHCOCK CORNISH HEN WITH SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and leave the bread slices out on the wire rack to dry a little.
• To spatchcock the Cornish hen, get some strong, sharp scissors (or poultry shears) and cut down either side of the spine, take out the spine, then press down on the breast to open it out flat. Cut the Cornish hen in half. Put it into a small roasting pan; you can toss in the spine to give extra flavor for the dressing later.
• Drizzle the hen with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and thyme sprigs, and throw in the unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast until the Cornish hen is reddish-gold on top, and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. I did 2 head garlic at 350 deg. for 45 minute before doing the hen.
• Meanwhile, put the golden raisins into a small saucepan with the vermouth or white wine. Bring to a bubble over low heat on the stove top. Remove the pan from the heat, and leave for about 10 minutes or, better still, leave it to cool while the Cornish hen is roasting.
• Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry frying pan over low heat until golden. Remove the pine nuts from the pan to a small bowl. Slice the crusts from the bread and cut into croutons. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan and fry the croutons until golden and crisp. Remove to a plate.
• Once the bird is cooked, take the pan out of the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the spine and thyme sprigs. Arrange the salad leaves on a couple of plates.
• Whisk together the Dijon mustard, salt, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the cold-pressed canola or extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl. Remove the Cornish hen and garlic cloves to a board, add the juices from the roasting pan to the dressing, and whisk again. If you want to get every last bit of pan-flavor out, add a little hot water from a recently boiled kettle and swirl it around the pan Add this liquid to the dressing, then whisk in the soused golden raisins.
• Set each half of Cornish hen on top of the salad on the plates and add 2 garlic cloves (provided they don't look too burned, though scorched and caramelly is good). Give the dressing a final whisk and pour it over the hen and the salad. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, croutons, and a few fresh sprigs of thyme.

SPATCHCOCKED CORNISH HEN WITH BABY LEAF SALAD AND SOURDOUGH CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and leave the bread slices out on the wire rack to dry a little.
• To spatchcock the Cornish hen, get some strong, sharp scissors (or poultry shears) and cut down either side of the spine, take out the spine, then press down on the breast to open it out flat. Cut the Cornish hen in half. Put it into a small roasting pan; you can toss in the spine to give extra flavor for the dressing later.
• Drizzle the hen with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and thyme sprigs, and throw in the unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast until the Cornish hen is reddish-gold on top, and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the golden raisins into a small saucepan with the vermouth or white wine. Bring to a bubble over low heat on the stove top. Remove the pan from the heat, and leave for about 10 minutes or, better still, leave it to cool while the Cornish hen is roasting.
• Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry frying pan over low heat until golden. Remove the pine nuts from the pan to a small bowl. Slice the crusts from the bread and cut into croutons. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan and fry the croutons until golden and crisp. Remove to a plate.
• Once the bird is cooked, take the pan out of the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the spine and thyme sprigs. Arrange the salad leaves on a couple of plates. Whisk together the Dijon mustard, salt, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the cold-pressed canola or extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl. Remove the Cornish hen and garlic cloves to a board, add the juices from the roasting pan to the dressing, and whisk again. If you want to get every last bit of pan-flavor out, add a little hot water from a recently boiled kettle and swirl it around the pan Add this liquid to the dressing, then whisk in the soused golden raisins.
• Set each half of Cornish hen on top of the salad on the plates and add 2 garlic cloves (provided they don't look too burned, though scorched and caramelly is good). Give the dressing a final whisk and pour it over the hen and the salad. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, croutons, and a few fresh sprigs of thyme.

SPATCHCOCKED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH LEMON AND OLIVE RELISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Divide mixture between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Place 2 hens in each bag and seal. Turn to coat hens with marinade. Let marinate, refrigerated, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
• Preheat a grill pan or a grill over high heat. Remove hens from marinade, wiping off any excess zest or garlic. Cut along each side of the backbone to remove it. Place hen, breast side up, on a cutting board. Flatten with the palm of your hand to break the breastbone and collapse the hen. Make a small incision between each leg and bottom end of the breastbone and pass the ends of the legs through the incisions to hold them in place. Repeat with remaining hens.
• Place hens, skin side down, on grill and immediately reduce heat to low. Place a brick or heavy cast iron pan on top of each hen and grill, rotating frequently, about 15 minutes. Turn hens over and grill until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon and olive relish.