Dark Cornish Hen

by Cat, October 2013 (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: Brining Chicken; Chicken Cutlets with Apples in Cider Sauce

This is one of the first recipes I “invented.”  In the 1970s,  I was going through my French period: reading French literature, learning to read the language, and enjoying the cuisine.  It was fall, I wanted to try a main dish with apples.  Since chicken goes with nearly everything, I decided to try this combination, and named it Normande for the Normandy region of France, known for its production of apple cider brandy, or Calvados. And now I’ve adapted this for the game hen.

This article includes recipes for 1. Chicken Normande; 2. Game Hen Normande.

Ideally, you would use Calvados, but I use plain brandy and add apple cider.  Granny Smiths are the best apples to use, but I have a MacIntosh apple tree and use my own apples.  I recommend vermouth for the white wine, but use any dry white wine that you have left over.

Best served in the fall, when apples are ripe, and people are drawn to the hearth in the cool evening hours. Serves 2, but easily adapted to serving 4 by using 2 game hens and increasing the other ingredients as needed.

Chicken Normande

After I made up this dish and loved it, I typed up the recipe and mailed it to my Mom (this was before the days of personal computers and email).  She too loved it, and published it in the Flathead Eastshore Views newspaper of which she was the editor.  My aunt in Iowa subscribed to the paper and was delighted to see my recipe printed there, tried it out, then shared it with all her friends.

Serves 4.  Best served in the fall, when apples are ripe, and people are drawn to the hearth in the cool evening hours.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 4 chicken breast halves, brined
• Unrefined Sea Salt (if you don’t brine the breasts)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme, crushed
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion or leek
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 large (or 2 small) tart apples
• 1/4 cup apple or plain brandy
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• cast iron skillet
• bowl or serving dish

Method:

1. Brine chicken in a salt brine for 30 minutes.  Remove from brine, rinse and drain.  Remove bones (reserve for making chicken stock another time).  You may leave skin on, or remove it.  Season with salt, pepper and a bit of thyme.
2. Meanwhile peel, core and slice the apples lengthwise, or in circles.  Set aside.
3. Melt butter in cast iron skillet; brown chicken over medium-high heat about 5 minutes per side.  Lower heat to low; add chopped onion/leek and saute until they wilt.
4. Add wine, then cover chicken with apple slices.  Cover skillet and simmer until apples wilt.
5. Warm brandy in small saucepan; pour over chicken and ignite immediately.  When flame goes out, cover and simmer a little more, about 5 minutes.
6. Add 1/4 cup cream.   Do not cover pan, but allow cream to come to a gentle boil over medium heat.  Cook until chicken is done, about 7 minutes.  If it gets too dry, add more cream and cover pan.
7. Remove chicken, apples and cream sauce to heated bowl or serving dish.  Add remaining cream to pan and bring to gentle boil.  Cook until thickens slightly and pour over chicken.
8. Serve!

For Assembly or Serving ideas, see below, after the Game Hen variation.

Variation: Game Hen Normande

See below for testing.

Ingredients:

• 1 game hen, butterflied and brined
• Unrefined sea salt (only if you don’t brine the bird)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme, crushed
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lard
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion or leek
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth or other dry white wine
• 1 large (or 2 small) tart apples
• 1/4 cup apple or plain brandy
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup broth, or more, as needed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Equipment:

• heavy-bottomed saucier or 10″ cast iron skillet with lid
• small saucepan
• bowl or serving dish

Method:

1. Butterfly, then brine hen in a salt brine for 2 hours.  See About Cornish Game Hens, Grouse, Pheasant & Other Small Fowl for details about butterflying and brining the hen. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry on a plate, then place in fridge overnight to dry-out the skin. Season with pepper and a bit of thyme. NOTE: If you don’t brine the hen, salt as well as pepper the hen, using unrefined sea salt.
2. Meanwhile peel, core and slice the apples lengthwise, or in circles.  Place in water with lemon juice added, to keep them from turning brown.
3. Chop onion/leek.
4. Melt lard in saucier or skillet; brown hen on both sides over medium-high heat about 5 minutes per side; position skin-side up when finished.  Lower heat to low; add chopped onion/leek and saute until they wilt.
5. Add wine, then cover hen with apple slices.  Cover skillet and simmer until apples wilt, 10-15 minutes; add a tiny bit of broth if pan gets too dry, but don’t overdo or the brandy will not ignite. If too much liquid in pan, remove lid and let some evaporate.
6. Warm brandy in small saucepan; pour over hen and ignite immediately.  When flame goes out, add cider and broth, cover and simmer until fleshy part of the thigh reaches 165-170° F on an instant-read thermometer, 10-15 minutes.
7. Add 1/4 cup cream. Do not cover pan, but allow cream to come to a gentle boil over medium heat.  Cook until hen is done (175-180° F in the thigh), 10 – 20 minutes.  If it gets too dry, add more broth and cover pan.
8. Remove hen, apples and onions/leeks to heated serving dish.  Cut hen in half along breast bone. Keep warm.
9. Add remaining cream to liquids in pan and bring to gentle boil.  Cook until thickens slightly, about 5 minutes, adjust seasoning, and pour over hen.
10. Serve!

Testing Game Hen version, 10/4-6/13: After brining and rinsing, set to dry out in fridge overnight, but turned into two overnights. Used thinly sliced leek, vermouth, and inexpensive brandy. Chopped up 1 large Macintosh apple to make fresh cider (got about 1/2 cup). Seared in lard, added leeks to sauté about 10 min. Poured wine over and covered with sliced Macintosh apple. Simmered 15 min before adding and igniting brandy, but I had trouble getting the brandy to ignite; meanwhile, it evaporated. Added the fresh cider and broth, and simmered 10 min to 160°F in the thigh, then added half the cream. don’t have to worry about it getting too dry while simmering – there’s lots of liquid from the apples. I don’t think I would have needed the apple cider. Simmered, lid off, for 15 min; very hard to read thigh temp with such a small bird, but wing and leg joints were quite flexible so I think it is done. Pan liquids are nicely flavored. Added remaining cream and cooked about 5 min over med-high heat till thickened; added a bit of salt. Served with the sauce,  baked yam, cooked beet, and broccoli & kale braise. Result: This was good but I think next time I’ll use a smaller apple and use broth instead of cider, as there was too much apple flavor.

Assembly or Serving ideas for either recipe

• Serve with tiny red potatoes (steamed, then tossed with butter and parsley), and seared green beans or asparagus, and a green salad.  Spicy apple rings make a colorful and delicious accompaniment.