How to Brown a Cornish Hen
Browning a Cornish game hen requires the same procedure as browning other meats: sear the meat briefly at a high temperature to create a Maillard reaction. Maillard reactions essentially cause amino acids to mimic simple sugars and caramelize -- the effect responsible for the golden-brown appearance and desirable, complex flavors of properly browned meat. Although small, the Cornish hen has a shape that makes searing on the stove top an unwieldy endeavor; however, oven searing -- initially enveloping the hen in a wave of exceptionally hot air and reducing the heat to finish cooking -- produces identical results. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 1 Cornish game hen
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 sprig of sage
- 1 clove of garlic
- Kitchen twine
Instructions
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1
Heat the oven to 500 F. Remove the giblets from the cavity and cut away any loose, excess fat. Coat the chicken with olive oil and season to taste with kosher and freshly ground black pepper.
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2
Coat the inside of the cavity with olive oil and liberally season it with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place one sprig of thyme, one sprig of rosemary, one sprig of sage and one clove of garlic in the cavity.
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3
Position the legs above the rear of the hen and truss with kitchen twine. Put the hen on a sheet pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven.
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4
Roast the Cornish hen for 12 minutes at 500 F and reduce the heat. Brush the hen with olive oil every 10 minutes after lowering the temperature. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh and the breast of the hen and make sure they read at 165 F.
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5
Cover the game hen loosely with aluminum foil and set aside for 10 minutes prior to serving.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
