Cornish Game Hen Recipe with Apricot Glaze (2024)

FAQs

Should Cornish hens be cooked covered or uncovered? ›

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.

Apricot glaze is a thin sauce made from apricot jam, apricot preserves, or very ripe apricots. To make apricot glaze, cooks combine apricot jam or preserves, water, liqueur, and sugar and cook the mixture on the stovetop over medium heat until it has a loose, pourable consistency.

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.

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.

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.

Gas range at 350° F: Took 75 minutes; the exterior was evenly browned, and the hen was very juicy inside. Microwave convection at 350° F: Took 60 minutes; the exterior was browned, and the inside was juicy. Microwave power convection at 400° F: Took 50 minutes, with results similar to those of regular convection.

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

Apricot glaze can be stored in the fridge in a glass jar indefinitely and reheated for later use.

It is best paired with fruit tarts and apricot flavoured dishes such as apricot vegetable glaze. It can also be lightly brushed on your pastry to give it a shine and sweet taste. Recipe suggestions include Fruit tart, Citrus-Apricot vegetable glaze and apricot-glazed chicken with spring vegetables.

Because of their small size, Cornish hens are perfect as a serving for one person or split in half when served with some delicious sides. I love pairing this easy roasted Cornish hen recipe with my Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes; Italian Oven Roasted Vegetables; or Brussels sprouts... Lots more ideas below!

Should Cornish hens be at room temperature before cooking? ›

Set the Cornish hens out to come to room temperature about 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and set a rack to the middle position of the oven. While the hens are coming to room temperature, make the basting sauce. In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, combine the olive oil and butter.

The Cornish game hen still commands a higher price per pound than regular broiler or fryer chickens, partly due no doubt to its decades-old reputation as an exotic new fowl. It is not exotic or new.

Cornish hens are butchered younger, which tends to make their meat more tender than chickens when cooked.

Because they are butchered young, some find the taste of Cornish Game Hen to be more tender compared to regular chicken. Cornish game hens are fairly lean, with half of a hen (120 grams or about 4 ounces), meat only, providing 139 calories, 24 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat.

Roasting Cornish hens on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet also helps elevate the birds so that the thighs cook as quickly as the breasts. Cornish hens are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and their juices run clear.

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.

Some Cornish game hens come with giblets and some do not. If yours does, you need to remove them from the cavity before cooking. After we rub them down with oil, I place the Cornish hens in a 9x13 baking dish, I combine the seasonings in a small bowl, and I season both sides.