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Recipe Detail Page
Thyme & Olive Butter Roasted Cornish Hens
Spring 2012
Working a softened compound butter under the skin of the birds takes a few minutes of careful work but rewards with flavourful, succulent meat. To avoid tearing the skin, use your index finger to gently loosen the skin from the breasts and legs before putting a small amount of butter on your fingertip and smoothing between the meat and skin.
Serves 6
HENS
¼ cup (60 mL) butter, softened, plus 2 tbsp (30 mL) melted
8 oil-cured black olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Cornish hens, each 1½ lbs (750 g)
SAUCE
2 tsp (10 mL) butter, softened
2 tsp (10 mL) flour
½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine
½ cup (125 mL) chicken stock
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme
1 Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
2 To prepare hens, combine softened butter, olives, garlic and thyme in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide butter mixture between hens, working under the skin with your index finger, to cover breasts and top of legs. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and place on rack in a large roasting pan. Brush with melted butter and season with salt.
3 Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375°F (190°C). Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of leg registers 160°F (70°C). Remove to a board, tent loosely with foil while preparing sauce.
4 To make sauce, mix butter and flour together in a small bowl. Place roasting pan over high heat, pour in wine and stir to scrape up brown bits in bottom of pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and return to a boil. Add butter and flour mixture, whisk to combine and continue boiling for 1 minute longer or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in chopped thyme and check for seasoning.
5 Carve hens in half through the breast bone and serve with Chive and Brown-Butter FriedRice (recipe). Spoon a small amount of sauce over each half.
Serves 6
CHIVE & BROWN BUTTER FRIED RICE
Chives are amongst the first herbs of the season to sprout. Their mild onion flavour can be fleeting once cooked, so if preparing the rice ahead of time, keep fried rice warm and stir in the chives only when ready to serve.
2 cups (500 mL) basmati rice
⅓ cup (80 mL) butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup (125 mL) slivered unsalted pistachios
1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped chives
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Rinse rice in a sieve under cool running water until water runs clear. Place rice in a medium saucepan, add 2½ cups (625 mL) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, turn heat to low and continue cooking until rice has absorbed all of the water, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand covered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with fork.
2 Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with the butter. Turn heat to medium-high, season with salt and pepper, and fry rice, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until rice is crisp in spots. Remove from heat, stir in pistachios, chives and lemon juice. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
Serves 6
