Usually served for company or special occasions, these little chickens make a great
presentation; that is, if you cook them properly. After trying numerous recipes, we found that
the biggest issue was adequately browning the skin by the time the meat is ready. As small as
they are, these birds cook very quickly. How do you perfectly cook Cornish game hens? Here’s
what we discovered:
Test Kitchen Discoveries
Cook them in a very hot oven (450 degrees) and liberally rub the meat beneath the skin
with softened butter.
Cook the birds on a wire rack set above a baking sheet to allow
the rendered fat to drain. Pour a little chicken broth into the pan to prevent the dripping fat
from smoking as it hits the pan.
Brush the birds with a sticky-sweet apricot and ginger-flavored
glaze once they are done. Within a couple of minutes in the oven the sugary coating will
brown and tighten. If applied any earlier, it will burn.
Use the drippings in the pan to make a quick pan sauce as the
game hens rest.
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