Fear not the Cornish Game Hen! These tasty little birds are everything you love about chicken in a smaller package. In fact, here in the United States, these birds are just smaller versions of the broiler chickens that we are used to. The presentation of this Grilled Cornish Game Hen with the bright and beautiful Cranberry Gastrique makes for an impressive presentation that is perfect for special occasions, but easy enough for a weeknight meal!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Spatchcocked hens: Cutting out the backbone and flattening each hen cooks it evenly and quickly, so the breast and thighs finish close together.
- Cherry smoke at 425°F: A smoke tube of cherry pellets on the grates and the hens on the indirect side give a mild, fruity smoke without a long cook.
- Smoked salt and steakhouse rub: Hickory smoked salt, black pepper, steakhouse seasoning, and lemon zest coat all sides of the hens with salty, savory, citrus flavor.
- Maple cranberry gastrique: Cranberries cooked down in maple syrup, then reduced with red wine vinegar, balsamic, and rosé, make a sweet-tart syrup that cuts through the rich skin.
Grilled Cornish Game Hen with Cranberry Gastrique
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Chicken
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Calories
572
Delight all your senses with this truly unique recipe, Grilled Cornish Game Hen with Cranberry Gastrique. The perfect balance of flavors, juicy chicken and sweet cranberry, is sure to wow your guests.
Ingredients
-
2 Cornish game hens
-
2 tbsp Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt
- 2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
-
4 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Steakhouse Seasoning
- 2 tsp lemon zest
-
1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup cranberries
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
-
1/4 cup Orlando Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- 1/4 cup rosé wine
For the rub:
For the Cranberry Gastrique:
Directions
Preheat your Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 to 425ºF, lighting only two of the four burners, so that you create both direct and indirect cooking zones. Fill an A-Maze-N Tube Smoker with cherry wood pellets, and place on the grates, over direct heat.
Prepare the Cornish game hens spatchcock style. Using kitchen shears or a sharp chef’s knife, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it.
- Combine the ingredients for the rub. Mix well. Season all surfaces of the hens liberally.
Light the pellets in the smoke tube using a torch.
- Place the birds on the indirect side of the grill, skin side up. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 155ºF-160ºF, with the lid closed, about 45 minutes. Then flip the birds over and grill over direct heat with the lid of the grill open, just until the skin is browned and crispy (a few minutes).
While the hens are cooking, make the gastrique. Combine the maple syrup, cranberries and thyme in a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet over medium heat on the infrared side burner. Bring to a simmer and cook the cranberries until they are broken down. Help them along by crushing them with a wood spoon while they cook. Reduce the heat, as necessary to prevent scorching. When the cranberries are broken down and the mixture thickens, add the vinegars and rosé wine. Stir well and cook until reduced and syrupy. The sauce is fully cooked when a wooden spoon pulled across the surface shows the sauce slowly filling in behind it.
- Transfer the gastrique to a food processor and process until smooth.
Using a sharp chef’s knife, divide the birds in half by slicing straight down the breastbones. Serve each half of the Grilled Cornish Game Hen with a drizzle of the Cranberry Gastrique.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What is a Cornish game hen?
In the United States, a Cornish game hen is a small, young broiler chicken. It cooks like chicken but in a smaller, individual-sized package, so each bird makes two servings.
Why spatchcock the hens?
Removing the backbone and flattening the bird gives it a uniform thickness, which cooks evenly and shortens the cook time to about 45 minutes.
Why light only two of the four burners?
Two lit burners create a direct heat zone and an indirect zone. The hens cook through on the indirect side and finish crisping over the direct side.
What internal temperature should the hens reach?
Poultry is safe at 165°F. Check the thickest part of the breast and thigh with an instant-read thermometer, away from the bone, before taking the birds off the grill.
Why flip the hens and finish with the lid open over direct heat?
After cooking skin side up, flipping them over direct heat browns and crisps the skin in just a few minutes. Leaving the lid open prevents the heat from building up and burning the skin.
How does a gastrique work?
A gastrique is a reduction of a sweet ingredient and vinegar into a syrupy sweet-sour sauce. Here the maple syrup and cranberries cook down first, then the vinegars and rosé reduce into a glossy sauce.
How do I know the gastrique is ready?
Drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan. If the sauce slowly fills in behind it, it's reduced enough.
Why add the vinegars after the cranberries break down?
Adding acid too early keeps the cranberry skins from softening. Letting them cook in the maple syrup first gives a smooth purée once they're blended.
How should I store the leftovers?
Refrigerate the cooked hens within 2 hours. They keep for about 3-4 days. The gastrique keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A 425°F oven roasts the spatchcocked hens the same way, and the gastrique is a stovetop recipe. You'd lose the cherry smoke.
Recipe Highlights
Spatchcocked hens: Cook evenly and quickly.
Cherry smoke at 425°F: Adds mild, fruity flavor.
Smoked salt and lemon zest rub: Seasons every surface.
Maple cranberry gastrique: Adds a sweet-tart finishing sauce.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8.2 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 572
- Carbs
- 30 grams
- Protein
- 38 grams
- Fat
- 32 grams
- Sodium
- 145 milligrams
