Giangi's Kitchen

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Cornish game hen with whiskey and cream sauce. is the perfect last-minute get-together dinner meal.

Easy to prepare and half of a hen is the perfect balance between both white and dark meat.  I always have two in my freezer. My go-to when I do not have time to cook a larger chicken.

I love that you can present a whole, for the hungry crowd, or half of a cornish game hen in a plate and it looks fantastic.

The cornish hens can be substituted with a small chicken. Do, however, use the same technique on splitting it. You do have to cook a chicken a bit longer. Adjust your timing accordingly.

Make more sauce by increasing the amount of whiskey, cream, and shallots.

What is a cornish hen or cornish game hen?

A rock cornish game hen, or simply called a cornish game hen, looks like a miniature chicken. Petite in size with a very tender texture of meat and flavor.

Less fatty as well thus if substituting with a chicken keep that in consideration and season with less oil or butter.

They must weigh between 1 and 2 pounds.

What is Herbs de Provence?

Herbs de Provence, are an aromatic mixture of dried marjoram, rosemary, thyme,  oregano, and lavender flowers.

Used in most southern French cooking it gives a fantastic savory taste to most poultry, meats, and pork.

Of course, if you do not have any on hand, you can create your own jar by mixing the above herbs, you can omit the lavender as it is not an herb that most of us have on hand.

With all dry herbs, store them in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight.

By having a small herb garden, I cut all the fresh herbs and let them dry out in the open air. Once dry I break them down and store them. Easy way to use herbs all year round.

Click HERE to purchase them.

TIPS

• When ready to tackle your cornish hen recipe with whiskey sauce, I recommend having all your ingredients ready.
• I always like to dry with paper towels the cavity of each hen. You can keep the hens whole and split them, that is all up to you. I rather split them as it takes a little less time roasting them.
• Use either a roasting pan or a heavy baking pan. Bake until golden brown. Remove the hens from the oven and cover them with foil to let them rest.
• Do not use a glass or non-stove top roasting pan as you will have to finish the sauce in the roasting pan. All the drippings make a fantastic sauce, it would be a pity to lose them.
• Be very careful when handling the roasting pan as it is hot when placed on the stove.
• Thinly slice the shallots. They will give the best flavor out and cook evenly.
• Use good French Dijon mustard. I do not recommend the grainy old fashion mustard, or honey mustard either.

TIPS on Cooking with alcohol

The whiskey evaporated as it cooks, leaving a wonderful bold flavor into the cream and butter. Cognac can be used instead of whiskey. As well as bourbon.

Be extremely careful when placing alcohol in a skillet. I always remove the skillet from the heat source as well as turn it off. Placing the alcohol in the middle of the pan is also a safe way of doing it

Always keep your eyes on the skillet, of course, however pouring away from you, and keep all loose clothing away from the heat source too.

When returning to the stove start with a low flame and increase from there. Gently swirl it around and add the cream.

Serve the cooked cornish with the lemon wedge and top with the sauce.

Rice with butter and peas was the perfect pairing. I added some wild rice just because I wanted something different.

Mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes go well too as they facilitate enjoying the sauce with it.

We enjoyed a nice glass of Nebbiolo red wine alongside.

Looking for more delicious recipes to enjoy?

Skillet Roasted Cornish Hen

Cornish Hen with Couscous

Cornish Hen – A great tasty dinner

Equipment and ingredients used to make this Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Whiskey Sauce

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