Cornish Hen Questions

[jinksd1]

For Thanksgiving, I'm cooking four Cornish hens.  I'm hosting, but obviously it's for only four people total, and three of us aren't big on turkey at all. 

Does anyone know roughly how much four of them will cost?  I'm kinda thinking $3-4 each, but I'm not sure if I'm way off or not.  I'm in a LCOL area where regular whole chickens are maybe around $1.00-1.20/lb. right now.

Also, does anyone know how long they will take to roast in the oven?  I don't mind if the time is off by 15-20 minutes, but I sure don't want us waiting an hour or something for them to finish cooking when we're all starving.  I see various times online when I look them up, but most seem to say about an hour.  Is that about right?

[kittensaver]

Don't go by time - go by temperature. Poultry is safe at 165 degrees. If you don't have an instant read thermometer - - get one!

[swamp]

I think they take about an hour to cook.

[jinksd1]

Yeah, obviously I'll temp them to be sure they're done, but I needed an approximate time in order to plan when to put them in.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Put them in a little more than an hour before you are intending on eating. Keep an eye on the temps and pull them out when they're done (may or may not be an hour). The birds will need to rest about 10-15 min. before cutting into them. Cover with foil loosely to keep them warm.

[The Captain]

allrecipes.com/Recipe/Seasoned-Cornish-Hens/

About an hour for the larger ones.

[jinksd1]

Thanks to all for the time info.  Anyone know about the price?

[jinksd1]

I'm pretty excited about Thanksgiving this year.  I've really pared down and simplified my normal menu, and most everything can be made the day before.  Plus, I just got a potato ricer tool that makes mashed potatoes half the job to prepare!

My menu:
devilled eggs
liver pate (my recipe is scrumptious!)
Cornish hens, roasted with herbs on the skin
mashed potatoes and gravy
stuffing
green bean casserole
French bread and compound butter
pumpkin pie

[justme]

I want to say you're about right on the price, assuming you're not going for organic free range sorta thing.

[Tennesseer]

Inexpensive and short cooking time. You might want to think about a wild rice stuffing for the birds.

[Deleted]

FRANK COSTANZA: What is this thing, anyway?
MRS. ROSS: It's Cornish game hen.
FRANK COSTANZA: What is that? Like a little chicken?
GEORGE COSTANZA: It's, uh, it's not a little chicken. [laughs] "Little chicken." It's a game bird.
FRANK COSTANZA: Game bird?
GEORGE COSTANZA: Yeah.
FRANK COSTANZA: What do you mean? Like, you hunt it?
MR. ROSS: Yes...
FRANK COSTANZA: How hard could it be to kill this thing?

[sarcasticgirl]

They cook faster if they aren't touching FYI. 

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

They usually take about 90 minutes (give or take).

Use a meat thermometer, and also you can pierce with a fork to see if juices are running out clear.

They're usually sold in packages of 2 per pack . (A bit more pricey than chicken, but not much) I usually make a stuffing on the side. The cavity in the bird isn't large enough to hold much more than a tablespoonful.

Any side dish with them will work - saffron, seasoned, or wild rice is good with them.

They're a nice bird for 'special occasion' meals.

We used to sometimes do them for NYE.

[Timberwolf]

My sister made them for Christmas last year.  She undercooked them (because this was her first attempt at them, too) and they were not as good as they could have been.  I would say Scottish Lassie is right, cook them for 90 minutes or so.

[midwestlily]

I haven't cooked one in years, but I do remember the first one.  I followed a recipe, cooked it, ate it, enjoyed it...and then noticed something inside the bird.  I'd certainly watched my mother and grandmother pulling the packet of giblets out a chicken or a turkey, but it had never occurred to me that they would also give you giblets inside a Cornish hen...

[dannylion]

You might want to make a trial run and fix the Cornish game hens for a dinner before the big day.  That way you'll know what to expect and avoid unpleasant surprises.