Volume 11, Issue 107 - November 28, 2006

Good Day %name%,

Rock Cornish Game Hens are delicious, versatile and right for any seasonal menu. Anything you can do with a chicken, you can do faster with a game hen.

The Rock Cornish Game Hen is the result of crossbreeding Cornish gamecocks and Plymouth Rock hens. They typically weigh about one pound and are usually found in your store's freezer. If you can find them fresh, it would be worth the little extra you pay for their clean flavor and crispier skin texture when cooked.

They can easily be roasted in under an hour (350 degrees) and even faster if you split them and grill or broil them. They lend themselves to almost any stuffing you can think of.  One bird can be enough for two people, but I always cook one per person because I love the leftovers. Plus, unlike the family chicken dinner, you do not have to fight for your favorite part of the bird. Love the thighs? Great, you get two!

Always try to thaw overnight in your refrigerator if at all possible. If you do not have the time to do this, 2 hours in a cold water bath should do the trick. Please refresh the cold water a couple times during the thaw down.

As with most poultry recipes, you want to make sure that your birds are cooked to a safe temperature. I recommend that you test the birds by inserting an instant read thermometer into the meaty part of the thigh and remove the hen from the oven when you get a reading of 160 degrees.

These recipes will work well with poussin, partridge, pheasant or squab, though the cook time will vary from one to the next. Find great game products  in the Exotic Foods and Wild Game Meats section of our Market Place

I've added a real treat at he bottom of this page—a recipe for Chocolate Truffle Cakes. Little pieces of Heaven!

Bon Appetit

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Roasted Game Hens with Goat Cheese and Walnut Linguine

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 each Rock Cornish game hens
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, large, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2/3 cup Madeira wine
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced julienne
1 bunch spinach, cleaned and sliced in 1/4 inch ribbons
1/2 pound linguine
3/4 pound goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Rub the hens with olive oil, or substitute bacon fat, until coated. Place them in an ovenproof dish and roast them for 30 to 40 minutes, until the hens are golden brown. Allow the hens to cool until you can easily handle them. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add the linguine. Cook until just tender.

While the pasta is cooking, sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft but not browned. Add the wine, reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. 

Add the bell pepper and cook until tender. Add the diced hen meat, toss to reheat but not to overcook the meat. Remove from heat.

Drain the pasta well and place it in a large bowl. Toss with the spinach ribbons. Add the hot hen mixture, along with the goat cheese to the pasta and toss. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper if necessary. Portion onto 4 plates and garnish each with the walnuts. Serve immediately.

Note: You may substitute Poussins (young chickens) or boneless chicken breasts for the game hens in this recipe.

Cape Cod Game Hen

Adapted from a Larry Forgione recipe. Any game bird or free range chicken can easily be substituted here. Truly a New England style holiday recipe.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 each game hens
salt and pepper
24 each oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved
2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red bell peppers, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
bacon fat, rendered, for roasting
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white wine, dry and buttery Chardonnay
6 tablespoons butter, unsalted, room temperature
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 to 8 drops Tabasco
1 each lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons chives, fresh, chopped

Preparation:

Rinse the birds in cold water and season the cavities with salt and pepper. Mix the oysters (remember to reserve the oyster liquor), scallions, red pepper, and garlic together. Put six oysters and veggies into each bird and truss them. 

Rub the birds with some bacon fat and season with salt and pepper.

In a heavy skillet, heat bacon fat until very hot and sear the hens on each side until browned (about 4 minutes per side). Put the birds in a pan and place in a hot oven, birds breast-side up, for another 30 to 40 minutes, until done. 

Check for an internal temperature in the meaty part of the thigh of 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the trussing string and pour the oysters and liquid into a bowl.

Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a pan, reserving the oysters. Add the reserved oyster liquor, heavy cream and wine. Reduce to 1/2 cup. Lower the heat and incorporate the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly to emulsify. 

Add the Worcestershire, Tabasco and lemon juice; whisk. Adjust seasoning and add the oysters and chives.

Carve the hens and place on either four separate plates or one large platter. Arrange the oysters around the carved hens and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

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Chocolate Truffle Cakes

You'll need those little tin moulds for these beauties! Four-ounce size is perfect for this recipe. I've never tried them in cupcake tins, but I don't see why that wouldn't work.

My friend Mick Webster gave me this recipe.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 ounces small pieces milk chocolate
4 ounces butter
2 each eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour

Preparation:

Melt the chocolate and the butter together in the microwave, stirring in short intervals. Blend the eggs and sugar together thoroughly and add the flour. Mix well, then combine with the melted chocolate. 

Pour into 4 ounce molds that have been sprayed with canned oil (Pam) and dusted with flour. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 450 degrees. Cool slightly and decant to paper to cool.

The center will be soft and you might find yourself making another batch right after eating the first one!