Harvest Cornish Hens
Submitted by dmartell
Roasted Cornish hens brushed with olive oil, parsley, and thyme, served with pan-gravy mushrooms, glazed carrots, and Brussels sprouts. A rustic Sunday dinner plate, scaled small.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsA Cornish hen gets you all the theater of a roast bird in a fraction of the time. Brushed with olive oil seasoned with dried parsley and thyme, the hens roast breast-up for just over an hour until the leg joints swing free and the juices run clear.
What makes this version feel like a harvest feast is the pan-drippings gravy. The flavorful drippings get skimmed, the mushrooms cook in that reserved fat until golden, and then the dark, concentrated pan juices deglaze into everything with a splash of water and milk. The resulting mushroom gravy clings to the bird without needing cream or butter.
Carrots and Brussels sprouts sauté alongside in a heavy skillet, finishing steamed and tender-crisp in just a splash of water. The whole plate comes together within minutes of the hens coming out of the oven.
Chef Tips
- Tie the legs and fold the wings under. Trussed birds cook evenly and look better on the platter.
- Baste every 20 minutes with the pan drippings. That’s what builds the mahogany skin.
- Test doneness by wiggling a leg. If it moves freely at the joint, the bird is done. A thermometer in the thigh should read 165°F (74°C).
- Let hens rest 5 minutes before serving so juices redistribute.
Variations
- Swap Brussels sprouts for parsnips or halved shallots when the season shifts.
- Use rosemary instead of thyme for a more pine-forward flavor.
- Finish the gravy with a splash of dry sherry or Madeira for Sunday-supper depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove giblets and necks from Rock Cornish Hens; refrigerate to use in soup another day.
Rinse hens with running cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle inside body cavity with salt and pepper.
Fold neck skin to back; lift wings toward neck, then fold them under back of hen so they stay in place.
With string, tie legs and tail of each hen together.
Place hens, breast-side up, on rack in roasting pan.
In a cup, mix olive or salad oil, dried parsley flakes, dried thyme leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; brush hens with oil mixture.
Roast hens in 350℉ (180℃) oven about 1¼ hours, brushing hens occasionally with drippings in pan.
Hens are done when legs can be moved up and down easily or when fork is inserted between leg and body cavity and juices that escape are not pink.
Toward the end of roasting hens, in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in hot margarine, cook carrots, Brussel sprouts and ½ teaspoon salt until golden.
Add ½ cup water; over high heat, heat to boiling.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally; keep warm.
When hens are done, discard strings.
Place hens on warm large platter; keep warm.
For gravy, remove rack from roasting pan; pour pan drippings into 1-cup measure; let drippings stand a few seconds until fat deparates from meat juice.
Skim 2 tablespoon fat from drippings into 3-quart saucepan; skim and discard any remeining fat.
In saucepan over high heat, in hot fat, cook mushrooms until tender and golden, stirring occasionally.
Stir enough milk into meat juice to measuring to equal 1 cup; stir in flour, chicken bouillon and ½ teaspoon salt until blended.
Add ½ cup water to roasting pan; stir to loosen brown bits from bottom of pan.
Pour water and brown bits into mushrooms in saucepan.
Add meat-juice mixture; cook over high heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens slightly; boil 1 minute.
To serve, arrange vegetables on platter with Cornish hens.
Garnish with parsley sprigs.
Serve with mushroom gravy.
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