Can you cook them like I cook pheasants? I take 4 pheasants, wrap each in bacon, cover with cream of mushroom soup, then bake.
It’s been awhile, but I:
Spatchcock them. Use scissors/shears to cut along each side of the spine. Toss spine, save for stock, or I like to simmer it with some stock and use as a base for the sauce. I might reduce it with balsamic vinegar. Bonus points for serving chicken in its own fluids. Cook breast up to start and flatten a bit (I don’t aim for super flat). Then bake, grill, or I usually broil (i.e. heat from above) them. I like 'em crispy so high heat. Embellish with bacon or something else if you wish.
“Capon” is a similar term for a young chicken. Those castrated males (I think CGH is either) and I believe older.
Any time I’ve bought them they don’t come with organs. I’m talking about frozen major brand though, not butchered at the store. Yet duck in the same brand comes with necks, gizzards, heart, and liver.
Generally speaking, I approve of a turkey-free Thanksgiving. Some people do not, so you have to prepare to have some uncle flip out if it not there, so check with mom.
Maybe, but decrease cooking time by a lot. Quail or dove (squab) might cook similar, albeit possibly gamier and smaller. Pheasant will also be gamier.
Elbows, if your comment was meant for me, thank you! I’ve really enjoyed this recipe over the years. One thing I left out was to be sure to rinse off the birds (including rinsing out the cavity) when you take them out of their wrappers and to dry them off with a paper towel before you do the first “goosing.” Sorry for the omission. If you try the recipe, let me know how it turns out.
Will do! I see them at the market, and it gives me ideas, but I’ve never eaten them so where to begin?
When I get bored with cooking the same meals, I pick anything that strikes my fancy and wander off in a new direction. And usually stick with it, trying different things till I get it how we love it! (Last time it was Beef Rendang!)
Your instructions provide me with a very encouraging jumping off point. I feel as though I could blunder forward, from here, so thanks.
One question, should I make two for a hungry man, or is one enough?
FRANK: What is this thing anyway?
MRS. ROSS: It’s Cornish gamehen.
FRANK: What is that, like a little chicken?
GEORGE: It’s, uh, it’s not a little chicken. (laughing) Little chicken. It’s a gamebird.
FRANK: Gamebird?
GEORGE: Yeah.
FRANK: What do you mean? Like, you - you hunt it?
MR. ROSS: Yes.
FRANK: How hard could it be to kill this thing?
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FRANK: Let me understand, you got the hen, the chicken and the rooster. The rooster goes with the chicken. So, who’s having sex with the hen?
GEORGE: Why don’t we talk about it another time.
FRANK: But you see my point here? You only hear of a hen, a rooster and a chicken. Something’s missing!
MRS. ROSS: Something’s missing all right.
Everyone, thanks for the ideas and instructions. I think I’ll have to try them all, so that means looking for a special on CGH!
As I try them I’ll come back here to report.
My long ago impressive bachelor recipe. Slather with sour cream, coat in crushed CheezIts, roast until done.
I would eat the shit out of this, but then again I’m pretty drunk right now.
We cook cornish hens all the time because those big honking (cheeping) chickens are too big. We cook them at the temp shown on the packaging they are in, on an upright chicken roaster. Garlic on the outside and nothing else, yum.
Upright chicken cooker: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Nonstick-Vertical-Poultry-Roaster/dp/B00004UE7S/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1415940148&sr=8-5&keywords=vertical+chicken+roaster
Put foil in the bottom part and clean up is easy.
Yummy, crispy, juicy chickies.