Roasted Cornish Hens with Mustard-Herb Sauce
By Mark HuxsollPublished on December 21, 2022
Time
1 hour, plus 24 hours 20 minutes salting and resting
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Hens
4 Cornish hens (1¼ to 1½ pounds each), giblets discarded¼ cup kosher salt 4 teaspoons pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oilMustard-Herb Sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley ¼ cup minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon pepperBefore You Begin
The 24-hour salting and resting period is key to seasoning the meat and drying out the skin so that it becomes crispy when roasted. We developed this recipe using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt; if using Morton Kosher Salt, reduce the amounts of salt to 3 tablespoons for the hens and ½ teaspoon for the sauce. We prefer Bell & Evans Cornish Game Hens.
Instructions
- Pat hens dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with twine and tuck wingtips behind backs. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Place hens on wire rack and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Brush hens evenly with oil and roast until breasts register between 155 and 160 degrees and legs register at least 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through roasting.
- Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
- Remove sheet from oven and let hens rest for 20 minutes; remove twine. Serve hens with sauce.
for the hens
for the mustard-herb sauce
Time
1 hour, plus 24 hours 20 minutes salting and restingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Hens
Mustard-Herb Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Hens
Mustard-Herb Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Hens
Mustard-Herb Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe for these small, flavorful birds is inspired by the perfectly roasted chickens served at French bistros. The single-serving hens make for an ideal dinner party entrée. Dry-salting the birds and leaving them unwrapped for 24 hours in the refrigerator dried the skin and evenly seasoned the meat. Brushing their exteriors with oil before roasting them in the top of a 500-degree oven helped create flavorful browning while not overcooking the interior meat. A long 20-minute rest allowed the juices to redistribute, ensuring succulent roasted hens. A simple stir-together sauce of soft herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, and whole-grain mustard perfectly dressed the hens.
Before You Begin
The 24-hour salting and resting period is key to seasoning the meat and drying out the skin so that it becomes crispy when roasted. We developed this recipe using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt; if using Morton Kosher Salt, reduce the amounts of salt to 3 tablespoons for the hens and ½ teaspoon for the sauce. We prefer Bell & Evans Cornish Game Hens.
Instructions
- Pat hens dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with twine and tuck wingtips behind backs. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Place hens on wire rack and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Brush hens evenly with oil and roast until breasts register between 155 and 160 degrees and legs register at least 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through roasting.
- Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
- Remove sheet from oven and let hens rest for 20 minutes; remove twine. Serve hens with sauce.
for the hens
for the mustard-herb sauce
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