Baby chickens (Cornish hens)

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning All:

Tonight's meal was Cornish hens and brown rice pilaf...I had bought the hens a week or so ago and last Friday thought I would have them for dinner that night. They were frozen, but I guessed a couple of hours in a brine would thaw them just fine...wrong guess! After almost four hours (now about 8:00pm) that evening they still weren't completely thawed. So I took them out of the brine and put'em in the fridge to finish thawing and dry the skin. Yesterday we went to Tallahassee and back for our granddaugther's 5th birthday party, so no cooking yesterday.

This afternoon I rubbed the little birds with EVOO and sprinkled with DP Shaking the Tree. They went on indirect at a dome temp of about 375 with a couple of small chunks of cherry for smoke. Meanwhile I did the brown rice pilaf on the other Egg.

Here are the birds right after coming off the Egg...

and a little closer...

Now on a bed of brown rice pilaf for serving...

EggHatter has pulled the leg away from hers...

Once I pulled the birds off one Egg, while they were sitting, I put on some Pillsbury French Loaf (cut in half so we each have a nice loaf)...

A very simple meal to prepare and certainly wonderful to eat.

Florida Grillin Girl · February 2009

Jay, those look just great.

Hope to see you for lunch soon.

Faith

Florida Grillin Girl · February 2009

Jay, those look just great.

Hope to see you for lunch soon.

Faith

Basscat · February 2009

I cook those on my Mini all the time. Super easy and super good. Might have to throw a piece of cherry on next time, yours look beautiful!

lowercasebill · February 2009

wow that looks great , hens on rice is one of my favorites nice pics too
bill

Little Steven · February 2009

Jay,

That is one of my favourite egg cooks. Cheers on the brown rice, it is really good for you.

Steve

Pork Butt Mike · February 2009

Jay they look awesome, I hope you and Cathy are doing fine. I will have to try that recipe there. Can you get something together for lunch. I know Scotty could not make it untill I think the 16th.

Richard Fl · February 2009

One of my favorites!

Cornish, Game Hens, Stuffed, Richard Fl

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 Whole Cornish Game Hens
OR
6-8 Whole Quail
Stuffing
3 cups Cooked Rice, Basmati preferred
1/2 cup Pignole, Pine Nuts, Pecans, Walnuts, your choice
1/2 cup Chutney
1/4 cup Scallions
Wrap
4-6 Pieces Bacon
SAUCE
1 Jar Raspberry Jam 4-6 Oz. or Orange Marmalade
Dijon Mustard
Balsamic Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Salt/Pepper

Procedure:
1 Cook Rice, Basmati or Jasmine preferred, Use 1/3 orange juice by volume of total liquid used to cook rice.
2 Mix cooked rice w/ nuts ( pignoles or pecans chopped), chutney, scallions, stuff cornish game hens, works well w/quail. Use: pepper, salt,poultry seasoning whatever you like for rub.. Stuff birds w/mixture.
Optional for game hens:
1 Wrap birds w/bacon , may take 2-3 pieces to totally wrap quail, cornish lay 2-3 pieces on breast and cook indirect breast up. For quail skewer w/large tooth picks or something else to hold the bacon.

2 Place in oven baking dish on rack to keep drippings underneath or place on BGE and grill using indirect method. Bake 325-350 F for 40-50 minutes until bacon is crispy, Start quail birds breast down, and turn breast up 1/2 way into cook. "V" rack works well for cornish, cook breast up with bacon strips.
3 Rest 10 minutes. Serve. If Egging be careful not to let the drippings flare and burn bacon/birds. Great reheated next day.

Sauce
1 Mix the sauce ingredients in a pan on low heat, add raspberry jam first. Tablespoon Dijon, Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar. Lemon juice and seasoning. Bring to slow boil and stir; adjust to your tastes. Orange marmalade may be substituted for the raspberry.
Side Dishes:
1 Grilled Asparagus & Oyster Mushrooms w/ Italian Dressing to grill.
Portions:
1 1/2 Cornish or 2-3 Quail per person.

Servings: 6
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Recipe Type
Main Dish, Poultry

Recipe Source
Author: Richard Howe, 05/25/02

Source: BGE Forum, Richard Fl, 2006/02/27

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Faith:

I guess I'll respond to the second post.

The birds actually tasted better than they looked. It looks like the Tampa Lunch Bunch is doing Jimbo's on Kennedy on 2/16 (last I heard from PBM). See you then?!

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Basscat:

I have been telling myself for quite a while to do these little birds, but just never got around to doing them. I LOVE cherry with poultry (actually most anything), plus it does give the food a nice color.

Maybe next time I'll use the mini instead of firing up one of the larges.

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Bill:

Thanks! The brown rice pilaf is VERY easy, but does take some cooking time.

RECIPE:

Ingredients:
1/4 (0.25) cup butter
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed beef broth
1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Procedure:
Preheat oven (EGG) to 325. Melt butter in a flameproof 2 quart casserole dish over moderately low heat, add rice and cook, stirring constantly fro 3 to 4 minutes, do not brown. Take off of heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and bake 1 to 1.25 hours until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and serve.

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Steve:

Thanks for the kind words.

The recipe for the rice pilaf is in my reply to bill.

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Mike:

Thanks for the kind words. Not much of a "recipe" to try, but the brown rice pilaf recipe is in my reply to bill.

Things are going well here.

As of right now the lunch gathering on 2/16 looks workable. I originally had two trials set for that day, but one of them has moved to another date and I really don't think the other one will actually go that day, so I should be able to make it. I'll talk with Scotty that morning to see if he wants me to pick him up.

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Richard:

Those do look good, but I didn't want to put that much effort into the cook tonight. I got your email and replied a few minutes ago.

Car Wash Mike · February 2009

I have got to cook those small birds. Looks really good. How is my blueberry sausage supplier? Might need his address.

Mike

Emarf · February 2009

looks great nice color on the birds

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Mike:

Yeah, I had been telling myself the same thing about the little birds and finally got off my butt and did a couple. They are a bit of a pain to actually eat, being so small, but they do taste wonderful.

Sweetbay has plenty of blueberry sausage. Do I need to prepare a "care" package for you?

SSN686 · February 2009

Morning Emarf:

The cherry smoke does put a nice color on the birds, not to mention make them smell and taste great too!

Baby chickens (Cornish hens)

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