Roasted Cornish Game Hens & Duchess Potatoes
Course:
Dinner
Seasonal Event:
Thanksgiving
Yield:
Servings 4 (Cornish Hen) , Servings 8 (Duchess Potatoes)
Time:
2 Hours (Cornish Hen), 1 Hour 15 Minutes (Duchess Potatoes)
Roasted Game Hens - Dinner for Two - Home & Family
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Cornish game hens
- Kosher salt
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 bamboo skewers
DUCHESS POTATOES:
- 2 ½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into 1" pieces
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat the hens dry with paper towels. Thoroughly season with kosher salt, inside and out. Carefully run your finger under the skin of the hen’s breast to separate the skin from the meat. Place a pat of butter under the skin on each side of the breast. Fill the cavity of the hen with a wedge of lemon and a sprig of rosemary.
- Tuck the wings under the body of the bird. Use a bamboo skewer to pin the legs together, cutting off the excess skewer. Repeat for each bird. Place the dressed birds onto shallow baking dish fitted with a wire rack. Brush the outsides of the birds with olive oil.
- Place the birds in the oven. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, reduce the oven to 375 degrees and roast for an additional 30 – 35 minutes. Let the cooked bird rest under foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's Notes: For best results, use the convection roast setting on your café wall oven or range.
DUCHESS POTATOES:
- In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold salted water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Add butter and cream. Using a potato masher, mash until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Taste mixture to make sure it is properly seasoned. Add egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg; stir until combined. Transfer potato mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe potatoes into 3-inch mounds. Coat the potatoes with cooking spray and bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.