- previous
- 1
- 2
- | single page
Elegant dining: Cornish hens deliciously prove the adage: Good things do come in small packages. Savvy hosts can capitalize on that to easily create a special dinner. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune) |
12 slices bacon or pancetta
6 leeks, trimmed, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Stuff the hens with onions. Brush all over with honey; cover the breast of each with 3 slices bacon or pancetta. Settle into a roasting pan.
2. Toss the leeks with the oil; add to the pan, tucking them in around the birds. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Roast , 45-60 minutes. If the bacon begins to blacken, cover hens with foil.
3. Remove the birds from the pan; keep warm. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks to a serving dish; keep warm. Tilt the pan to one side; skim away any fat. Pour a little hot water into the roasting pan; set over high heat. Heat to a boil, scraping up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan; simmer for a few minutes. Pour the pan sauce into a gravy boat or pitcher; serve with the hens and the leeks.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 623 calories, 39 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 238 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 44 g protein, 616 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.
Grilled Cornish hens, German-style
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: If you can get to a grill and have a hankering for holiday cooking outdoors, try this recipe from "Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook." (The Cornish hens can also be cooked in a grill pan or in the oven at 350 degrees.) Author Robb Walsh calls for a German riesling. Use if you have it, but a dry white wine will do. He also recommends serving this dish, based on a German recipe, with sweet-and-sour sauerkraut.
Ingredients:
3 Cornish hens, split
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
Glaze:
1/4 cup coarse-grain German mustard
2 tablespoons German riesling
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch each: ground mace, ground cloves
1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect-heat grilling over medium heat. Meanwhile, carefully remove as much skin as possible from the hens. Season hens with salt and pepper.
2. Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl; mix thoroughly.
3. Cook the hen halves, bone side down, directly over the fire until lightly browned. Move them to the cooler part of the grill grate; cover. Cook, turning at midpoint, 20-25 minutes. Prick a thigh with a fork to check for doneness. If the juices run clear, move the hen halves back over the fire; brush them on both sides with the glaze. Finish them, turning often, until nicely browned on both sides.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 460 calories, 31 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 226 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein, 461 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
wdaley@tribune.com
6 leeks, trimmed, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Stuff the hens with onions. Brush all over with honey; cover the breast of each with 3 slices bacon or pancetta. Settle into a roasting pan.
2. Toss the leeks with the oil; add to the pan, tucking them in around the birds. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Roast , 45-60 minutes. If the bacon begins to blacken, cover hens with foil.
3. Remove the birds from the pan; keep warm. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks to a serving dish; keep warm. Tilt the pan to one side; skim away any fat. Pour a little hot water into the roasting pan; set over high heat. Heat to a boil, scraping up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan; simmer for a few minutes. Pour the pan sauce into a gravy boat or pitcher; serve with the hens and the leeks.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 623 calories, 39 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 238 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 44 g protein, 616 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.
Grilled Cornish hens, German-style
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: If you can get to a grill and have a hankering for holiday cooking outdoors, try this recipe from "Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook." (The Cornish hens can also be cooked in a grill pan or in the oven at 350 degrees.) Author Robb Walsh calls for a German riesling. Use if you have it, but a dry white wine will do. He also recommends serving this dish, based on a German recipe, with sweet-and-sour sauerkraut.
Ingredients:
3 Cornish hens, split
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
Glaze:
1/4 cup coarse-grain German mustard
2 tablespoons German riesling
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch each: ground mace, ground cloves
1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect-heat grilling over medium heat. Meanwhile, carefully remove as much skin as possible from the hens. Season hens with salt and pepper.
2. Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl; mix thoroughly.
3. Cook the hen halves, bone side down, directly over the fire until lightly browned. Move them to the cooler part of the grill grate; cover. Cook, turning at midpoint, 20-25 minutes. Prick a thigh with a fork to check for doneness. If the juices run clear, move the hen halves back over the fire; brush them on both sides with the glaze. Finish them, turning often, until nicely browned on both sides.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 460 calories, 31 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 226 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein, 461 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
wdaley@tribune.com
