These birds are actually really small chickens and are easy to cook and even easier to eat! Inexpensive (under $7 for a package of two) but seem special because we love things that are small and cute. You can make this dish with a regular chicken or chicken parts but you need to adjust your oven time up for a total cooking time of an hour and a half. Be sure to check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. It needs to read 160 degrees F in the breast or large part of the thigh. If the juices run clear when you pierce the skin, you should be good to go. So here's the recipe and the video from the news program.
The Girl Can Cook on Fox 23 Daybreak
Bonne Maman (also known as a la Bonne Femme) is an obviously French term meaning "good mother" or "good woman" that refers to a simple dish that includes potatoes, onions, and mushrooms and is typically finished with white wine. It is a complete meal so you don't really need to add anything. Although a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and a nice crusty bread would be a good accompaniment. If you're needing to be particularly frugal or you are feeding people with small appetites, you can split the birds in half and give each diner half a bird instead of a whole one.
Roast Cornish Game Hens Bonne Maman
Serves 2
2 Cornish game hens
1 lemon, quartered
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 medium onions, quartered
1 lb baby potatoes
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Grapeseed or canola oil
Preheat oven to 450°.
Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season hens inside and out with salt and
pepper. Place 2 lemon wedges and 1 sprig of rosemary in the cavity of each hen.
Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan.
Scatter in potatoes and onions around the hens. Roast for 25 minutes.Reduce oven temperature to 350 °. In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, and chicken broth. Add mushrooms to the roasting pan and pour wine mixture over and around hens and vegetables. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
Transfer hens and vegetables to a platter, pouring any cavity juices back into the roasting pan. Pour pan juices into a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and vegetables around hens and serve.
