With the holidays approaching, you might wonder what to cook for a small group of 2 to 4 people with minimal effort.
This petite chicken breed, often referred to as the Rock Cornish Game Hen, is a hybrid created by crossing Cornish game cocks with Malayan fighting roosters and White Plymouth Rock chickens to yield a tender, smaller bird.
Cornish hens were developed in the 1950s by a couple from Connecticut and gained popularity soon after.
Instead of Cornish Hens, a plain chicken or duck breast can be used in this recipe. This one-dish meal has an impressing presentation. I stuffed the hens with colorful peppers, onions and several sprigs of rosemary. I added the small potatoes and roasted Brussels at at a later time.
A Cornish hen, while still young and small is suitable for a single serving
For a one dish meal you follow the recipe below:
Bake the Cornish Hens on a large baking pan/sheet with rim for a total for 1 hr 10 min. After 35 min of baking, add the small potatoes. Next you place the halved Brussels sprouts in a plastic bag and shake in olive oil, sea salt and cajun or red pepper seasoning. Place them into the oven with the Cornish hen and potatoes for an additional 45 minutes (can be added on a separate baking sheet). The Brussels sprouts need to be turned halfway through. About 10 min. before the end of cooking, I brush the Cornish Hens with a balsamic glaze, which gives it a special zing. Scroll down for ingredients and steps to follow.
Those Poultry Kitchen shears on Amazon are strong enough to cut a Cornish Hen in half
Balsamic glazed Cornish Hens
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish Hens (add 10 to 15 minutes cooking time if using regular chicken depending on size).
- Sea Salt
- Pepper flakes, Cajun spices or Mediterranean seasoning
- 2 red and/or yellow peppers, chopped
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 fresh sprigs rosemary (or thyme, sage sprigs)
- 1 lb Brussels Sprouts (washed, dried, and halved)
- 1 lb small potatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Stuff Cornish Hens with rosemary sprigs, sliced onion and sliced pepper. Season with sea salt.
- Bake the Cornish Hens a total for 1 hr 10 min.
- After 35 min, add the small potatoes to the Cornish hens in the oven.
- Shake the halved Brussels sprouts in olive oil, sea salt and cajun or red pepper seasoning. Place them also into the oven for an additional 45 minutes next to the Cornish hens (can be added on a separate sheet).
- They’ll need to be turned halfway through.
- While cooking prepare the Glaze by combining the balsamic vinegar, honey, soy sauce and garlic.
- Brush the Balsamic sauce on top the Cornish Hens 10 minutes before the 1 hr 10 min minutes is reached.
- Internal temperature of the chicken (breast) should be at least 160 F or 71 C
