Brined Cornish hens
Ingredients
- ¼ cup EACH kosher salt and cane syrup
- 1 teaspoon (or a little more) crab boil
- 2 to 3 cups water
- 2 Cornish hens (with skin loosened around breast so brine can penetrate)
- 1 lemon, juiced (reserve juice for sauce) and quartered
- Garlic toes, smashed
- Oil
- 1 cup (about) chicken broth
Directions
Increase amounts as needed. Start this recipe at least a day in advance. And remember, you might need to add on thawing time if the Cornish game hens you purchase are frozen.
2 Servings
In a big sealed plastic zip-top bag, dissolve the salt and syrup in one cup of water, then add crab boil. Put hens in the bag and add just enough water to cover birds. Let sit overnight (or at least 8 hours) in refrigerator. Remove hens from brine, pat dry with paper towels, stuff each with two lemon quarters and several garlic toes, and brush skin with oil.
Roast at 400 degrees for an hour (or until it reaches an internal temperature of 180), basting occasionally with accumulated juices.
Deglaze pan with chicken broth and reserved lemon juice, then reduce by half to make a sauce. DO NOT ADD MORE SALT!
Variation: Use smoked garlic instead of fresh. Squeeze out a head of smoked garlic, mash it and black pepper into a paste to put under the skin, then put the garlic husks inside the hens.
Source: the Times Picayune – New Orleans
