cornish hens-in-the-pot
with a twist
And yes,
a vegetarian version
Cornish Hens-In-the-pot with a twist
And, a hen-less version for vegetarians
*And, a cool cheater’s hack
Is there anyone who doesn’t like comfort food? It’s so … well … comforting! Of course, that means different things to different people. To me it means something that’s easy to eat, has uncomplicated but still interesting flavors, and something that will require very little clean-up at the end. It helps if it reminds me of childhood. It also needs to be nutritious, and preferably, it contains all the food groups in one dish.
But what if we could take comfort food to the next level and turn it into something that’s just as comforting as the original, but also elegant enough for a more formal dinner?
Here’s a recipe that fits the bill—Cornish Hens-in-a-Pot, served in individual pots. I got the idea from my friend, Lauren Brown of Brown’s Deli in Casselberry, Florida. Instead of everyone digging into a large communal pot of chicken, matzo balls, kreplach, noodles, and vegetables, she replaced the chicken with halved Cornish hens and served individual bowls with a portion of each of these delectables, including half a hen per person. It sounded like such fun. I took the ball and ran with it, making it my own.
So now, here’s the scene—Imagine the table is set with a beautiful cloth. At each place is a large bowl brimming with a richly seasoned chicken broth (or chicken-less broth) that’s filled with enough varied goodies to make every bite an exciting adventure. There are earthy chestnut and shiitake kreplach, fluffy matzo balls with dill and saffron and a surprise stuffing, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, tiny pasta stars, plus bright ribbons of green escarole to complete this elixir of flavor and nutritional perfection in a bowl. The soup is served with a knife and fork in addition to a spoon, because crowning it all is a partially de-boned half of a Cornish Hen—one breast and wing quarter and one thigh and leg quarter—with succulent meat and crispy skin. A beautiful tangle of colorful microgreens garnishes the bowl and gives height to the dish. Even your most important guests will be delighted. It will feel like a brave choice, to serve an every-day family meal to your most esteemed guests—they will feel as though they’re special enough to be treated like insiders, like family. Yet, this delicious dish, served in an impressive manner with just a bit of fanfare, reminds them that they are, indeed, honored. By the way, in case you don’t own the perfect dishware for serving Cornish Hens-in-the-Pot, you might want to check out this set of four bowls. They’re simple and go with any decor, the shape is interesting, and the size is just right. Plus, they’re very affordable.
Here’s the problem: As wonderful as a comforting bowl of chicken-in-the-pot may sound, when it comes down to it, I just can’t make myself like boiled chicken. Traditionally, chicken-in-the-pot is a bowl of chicken soup that has not been strained. When preparing to make the soup, care is taken to cut the pieces of chicken and vegetables nicely. Once the soup is done, matzo balls, noodles, and kreplach are added. But, cook it long enough to make a richly flavored soup and the chicken will have become dry and tasteless, with pale, soft, slimy skin that slides off when you reach for it with knife and fork. That sounds especially sad when the chicken in question is a beautiful Cornish hen. And then there are the vegetables. Over-cooked, mushy, tasteless vegetables. All the goodness they started with is now in that tasty soup.
It’s an easy fix: I simply turn the dish into a two-step process. I begin by making my grandmother’s chicken soup, or my vegetarian chicken-less soup. When it’s finished, I strain it, toss out all those mushy vegetables, and cut up the chicken for the cats.
All the components are made separately. I make and par-boil the kreplach (they’re going to soften further in the hot soup) and prepare my specialty matzo balls. Onions are diced and sautéed in a small glug of oil until golden, with sliced mushrooms and garlic. Carrots, parsnips, and celery are cut into thin slices on the bias, then added to the skillet and tossed for another minute or so. Then the pan is then deglazed with a splash of sherry. The stock is added and the soup is simmered until the vegetables are tender. Then the pasta stars and escarole ribbons are added with a generous amount of snipped dill and parsley, and the soup is simmered for 2 minutes more.
Now for then hens: I cut them in half and remove the spine and all the smaller, fiddly bones that are annoying to contend with at the table. I coat them lightly with olive oil on top and bottom, and then sprinkle them on both sides with salt (you may want to skip the salt if using kosher chicken), pepper, and garlic powder. I might add other spices and herbs, depending upon my mood. Coriander and cumin are a good combo, as are za’atar and sumac. Herbs de Provence are nice. Use whatever tickles your fancy. I finish the skin side with a light dusting of paprika, either sweet or smoked. Then the hen quarters are placed on a parchment-lined baking pan, skin side up, and roasted until perfectly done. One of the great advantages of quartering them before roasting is that you can remove the breast portions while they’re still juicy and continue to roast the leg quarters a bit longer until they’re cooked through.
Serving the soup: Into large bowls, I arrange one or two matzo balls (depending on their size) and a few kreplach, keeping them to the sides of the bowl. I stir the hot soup well so that the vegetables and pasta are evenly dispersed, and then ladle a generous serving over those matzo balls and kreplach. I then artfully arrange one breast quarter and one leg quarter on center top, making sure to keep the crispy skin above the broth so that it doesn’t go limp. A stack of microgreens crowns the hens, and I have a beautiful, impressive, and totally delightful meal. All you really need is some crusty bread or challah, but I usually serve a selection of salads as a first course.
For the vegetarian version, the hens are obviously eliminated. To add bulk to the soup, I add some pre-cooked lentils de Puy. (These little blue-green lentils differ from their brown and red cousins, in that they hold their shape when cooked.) Sometimes I also add another pre-cooked grain, such as farro or barley. Some seasoned and oven-crisped planks of tofu are added artfully on top in place of the chicken. Finish the bowl with those microgreens, and your tofu-in-the-pot will be every bit as lovely as the hens-in-the-pot.
* Here's a hack. If you don’t have any good chicken soup or chicken-less soup on hand, and don’t have time to make some, you can start with the boxed stuff. Pour the broth from the boxes into a pot and add carrots, onions, celery, a small piece of parsnip, a handful of parsley and a handful of dill. If you’re making the chicken version and you have any bits, such as necks, backs, or giblets hanging around in the freezer, add them as well. Simmer until the vegetables are mushy and tasteless, then strain the soup and continue with the recipe.
And another great thing about this dish? The soup and all the components can be made a day in advance and stored separately in the fridge. If the hens are pre-cut and seasoned, all you need to do at serving time is to slide those birdies into the oven, warm the soup, and add in all the extras. It will make the meal seem completely effortless, and clean-up will be a breeze.
Individual cornish hens-in-the-pot
For four servings
For the Soup
Ingredients:
2 cornish hens, prepared as instructed below (If your hens are small or you have big eaters, you can use a whole hen per person.)
3—4 kreplach per person. You can use traditional meat kreplach, or any of these vegetarian kreplach versions. My favorite ones to use in this soup are my shiitake chestnut kreplach.
2 ½ quarts (10 cups) homemade or boxed chicken broth or chicken-less broth
8 stuffed saffron and dill matzo balls (recipe follows)
½ cup pastina pasta (or ditalini, orzo, or ancini de pepe)
a small glug of neutral oil, such as avocado or sunflower
1 large onion
4 ounces medium/large mushrooms, white or brown
2 cloves garlic
3 medium carrots
2 stalks celery
2 medium parsnips
2 tablespoons sherry
a small handful of parsley
a small handful of dill
3 ounces escarole, cut into ribbons
1 ounce dried mushrooms, optional (any variety, or an assortment)
salt and pepper to taste (the amount of salt will vary according to the saltiness of your stock.)
microgreens or sprouts for garnish
Method:
If you’re using dried mushrooms, start by chopping them coarsely and soaking them in the sherry, in a small bowl, for 30 minutes or more, to soften them. If the sherry doesn’t quite cover the mushrooms, add some of the stock to the bowl as well.
Pour a small glug of oil into a large soup pot.
Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the mushrooms and the garlic, and sauté until the mushrooms begin to take on color.
Add the stock , the sherry (with the dried mushrooms if using), the carrots, the celery, and the parsnips and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the pasta, a generous amount of chopped parsley and dill, the matzo balls, and the shredded escarole to the pot, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. If it tastes flat, it probably needs more salt. If it still tastes like “it needs something,” add another clove of garlic, pushed through a garlic press, and stir it through. You can add the pre-boiled kreplach into the soup now, or put them individually into each bowl and ladle the hot soup over them.
For the Matzo Balls
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons chicken schmaltz or oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
A tablespoon or so of chopped fresh dill
1 small clove of garlic, pushed through a garlic press or minced and crushed
1 cup matzo meal
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup seltzer
Method:
In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a fork.
Add the schmaltz or the oil and beat into the eggs.
Add the salt, dill, saffron, white pepper, and garlic and mix well.
Add the matzo meal and baking powder and mix well again.
Add the ice cold seltzer, mix well, cover the bowl, and let it rest in the fridge for at least ½ hour. You can make the dough the day before.
Make the stuffing:
You’ve got two choices here:
Chop an onion very finely and caramelize it in a bit of neutral oil or chicken schmaltz (or a bit of each until it’s very soft and browned.
Or, finely chop some gribenes that you’ve been storing in the freezer. (even better)
When you’re ready to make the matzo balls, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Choose a wide pot so that the matzo balls can all float to the top and there’s room for them to swim.
Divide the matzo ball mix into 8 even portions and roll each one into a ball, keeping your hands wet.
Stuff the matzo balls. Put one matzo ball in the palm of your hand. Push the index finger of your other hand into the ball, halfway to the middle.
Using a tiny spoon or your fingers (I find fingers work best), push about ¾ teaspoon of stuffing into the hole, all the way to the middle. Then, gently close up the hole.
Carefully drop the stuffed matzo balls into the rapidly boiling water, one at a time. Turn the heat down, cover the pot, and gently simmer them for 1 hour. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the matzo balls from the water and let them drain.
For the hens:
Preheat the oven to 350°
Using poultry scissors, cut the hens in half lengthwise and wash them inside and out. Remove the backbone and all the fiddly little bones. Dry the hens well. Cut each half into two sections, following the line of the muscles, to separate the breast/wing section from the leg/thigh.
Coat the quarters lightly with olive oil on top and bottom, and then sprinkle them on both sides with salt (you may want to skip the salt if using kosher chicken), pepper, and garlic powder. You might add other spices and herbs, depending upon your mood. Coriander and cumin are a good combo, as are za’atar and sumac. Herbs de Provence are nice. Use whatever tickles your fancy.
Finish the skin side with a light dusting of paprika, either sweet or smoked.
Place the quarters on a parchment-lined baking pan, skin side up, and roast until perfectly done. One of the great advantages of quartering them before roasting is that you can remove the breast portions while they’re still juicy and continue to roast the leg quarters a bit longer until they’re cooked through. Check them after 40 minutes. The breast quarters should register 160°—165°, and the leg quarters should register 180°—185° to be tender and juicy. Remember that the temperature of the meat will continue to rise when they’re taken from the oven.
When the hens are done, add the drippings from the pan to the soup. If the drippings have dried out, add a little water to the pan to loosen them.
Set the roasted hen quarters aside and cover them with foil to keep them warm.
Assemble the Individual Cornish Hens-In-The-Pot
Into each of 4 bowls, place 2 matzo balls and 3 kreplach. Stir the soup well so that the vegetables and pasta are evenly dispersed, and ladle the soup over the dumplings. In the center of each bowl, artfully arrange one leg portion and one breast portion of Cornish hen. Top with a tangle of microgreens or sprouts and serve with challah or crusty bread.
For a vegetarian version
Follow the above directions for making the soup. When you add the pasta to the soup, also add some pre-cooked lentils de Puy, and some farro or barley, if you’d like.
You’ll also need: one or two, one pound blocks of extra firm tofu. Lose the hens.
Wrap the tofu in thick layers of paper towel and set a cutting board topped with a heavy book on top. Press the tofu for at least 15 minutes.
Cut the block(s) of tofu down the side to make 2 pieces, the same dimensions but half the thickness of the original. Cut each one into four quarters.
For the marinade:
(whisk together all ingredients)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
a few drops of liquid smoke
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
Method:
Marinate the tofu for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Remove the tofu from the marinade and wipe away the excess.
For super delicious, crispy tofu, heat a non-stick skillet and add a glug of oil. When the oil is hot, lay the tofu rectangles into the pan in a single layer and cook over medium heat. Do not touch the tofu for a full 5 minutes. Then, using a thin spatula, carefully turn each piece over and crisp on the other side. Do this in batches if necessary.
To plate the soup
To assemble, follow the directions above, replacing the hen portions with 2—4 planks of tofu, depending upon how much you’d like to serve. Finish as above, with a tangle of microgreens or sprouts.