Brined and Grilled Cornish Hens (Poussin, little chickens)
Total time: 60 minutes plus 10 earlier
The poussin that we get are very young chickens and weigh about 18oz (550gr) each. They are perfect individual servings (with a snack leftover). If you get larger birds one may be enough; you could cut it in half before cooking, if you like.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cornish game hens or poussin (little chickens), depending on size, 575gr, 20.3oz each
- Brine:
- 3 cups very cold water
- 1 cup ice cubes, app.
- 1/4 cup rock, sea or kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine tarragon vinegar
- 2 bay (laurel) leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs juniper berries optional
- Basting sauce:
- 2 tbs olive oil, 27gr, .95oz
- 1 tbs lemon juice, 15gr, .53oz
Instructions:
- Earlier in the day: At least 2 hours and up to 7 hours before cooking, mix water, salt, sugar and vinegar in a deep bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Peel garlic and smash with the flat of the knife. Add garlic, bay leaves and juniper berries (if using). Add ice and hens, making certain that the hens are covered as best you can. The tend to float..... Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, until ready to cook.
- Dinner: Remove chicken and allow to air dry for 15 minutes (or up to 30). Discard the brine.
- Mix olive oil and lemon juice.
- Cook hens on barbecue grill over indirect heat (either charcoal or gas), covered, for 45 - 60 minutes, depending on size, or until done. Start basting after about 15 minutes and baste 2 or 3 times.
- Poultry is done at 160 F (70C) on your meat thermometer and/or the juices run clear when pierced with knife. The legs will also wiggle freely and the hens will be a lovely golden brown.
- Or they can be baked in a shallow roasting pan in a 400F oven for 45 - 60 minutes, until done. If baking, start basting immediately.
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| Nutrition Information Recipe serves 2 Entire Recipe / per serving Calories: 2420 / 1210 Total Carbohydrates: .5 / .25 Dietary Fiber: 0 / 0 Total Fat: 176 / 88 Saturated Fat: 47 / 23.5 Cholesterol: 1162 / 581 Protein: 198 / 99 Calcium: 126 / 63 Sodium: 703 / 351.5 |
General Technical Details and Disclaimer:
Note: Nutrition info assumes 50% of marinade is eaten and none of the brine.
Measurements are actual measurements used for calculation. If there are no values the nutritional numbers were simply too small.
I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it. I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.
My information comes from my own digital, computerized scale and the USDA Nutrient Data Library: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/
