Cornish Game Hen: Spatchcock Hen

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 33 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Inactive: 3 min
  • Cook: 10 min
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Ingredients

1 Cornish game hen, approximately 1 1/4 to 1 3/4-pounds

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

  1. Preheat a panini press on high.
  2. Place the game hen breast side down on a cutting board. Using scissors or poultry shears, cut from the neck to the tailbone to remove the backbone. Once you remove the backbone you will be able to see the inside of the bird. Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breastbone to reveal the keel bone. Grab the bird with both hands on the ribs and open up like a book, facing down towards the cutting board. Remove the keel bone. Cut small slits in the skin of the bird behind the legs and tuck the drumsticks into them in order to hold them in place. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
  3. Spray the bottom of the panini press with the nonstick cooking spray. Place the bird, skin side up onto the press, pray the skin side with non-stick cooking spray and close the lid. Top the press with a 10-pound weight and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
  4. Allow to rest 3 minutes before serving.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Shirley W.

Very good, juicy and tender.  You can use whatever taste profile you prefer to season your bird.  Never thought about using a panini to cook chicken.  But it works!  Somewhat messy, but much less so if your hen is patted very dry before placing in the press.  A temperature probe is also useful to make sure the meat reaches the proper temperature.   Thanks Alton Brown for a delicious and imaginative cooking technique.

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