Equipment
Ingredients
Cornish Hens
- 2 cornish game hens, thawed and patted dry
- 6 g kosher salt
Deviled Mustard Coating
- 60 g dijon mustard
- 30 g whole grain mustard
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- 15 ml worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic, minced
- 6 g fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 4 g smoked paprika
- 2 g cayenne pepper
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 697 kcal
- Protein
- 53 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 51 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1071 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 24 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 303 mg
- Potassium
- 835 mg
- Calcium
- 78 mg
- Iron
- 3.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 433 mg
- Zinc
- 3.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 134 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.54 mg
- Niacin
- 17.3 mg
- Folate
- 12 mcg
- Water
- 214 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
Using poultry shears, spatchcock the Cornish hens by cutting along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Press down firmly on the breastbone of each hen to flatten them. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels and season evenly with the kosher salt.
In a mixing bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, finely chopped fresh rosemary, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Whisk until a thick, uniform paste forms.
Using a pastry brush, generously coat both sides of the flattened hens with the deviled mustard paste, reserving a small amount to touch up any bare spots later. Place the coated hens skin-side up on the prepared wire rack.
Place the baking sheet under the broiler, about 15 centimeters or 6 inches away from the heat source. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes until the mustard coating begins to blister, bubble, and turn deep golden brown.
Immediately turn off the broiler and set the oven temperature to 190C or 375F. Move the baking sheet to the middle rack. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 74C or 165F.
Remove the hens from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board. Let them rest for 10 minutes before carving into halves or quarters to serve.
Chef's Notes
- Spatchcocking the hens is essential here; it provides a much flatter surface area for the deviled crust to adhere to and brown evenly under the unidirectional heat of the broiler.
- If your broiler runs extremely hot and cannot be regulated, leave the oven door slightly cracked during the initial phase to vent some heat and prevent the mustard from turning bitter.
- The acidity in the mustard and vinegar acts as a brief surface tenderizer. You can coat the hens and leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before cooking for deeper flavor penetration.
- Save the backbones removed during the spatchcocking process. Keep them in a freezer bag and use them later to make a rich poultry stock.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The crust will soften upon refrigeration.
Freezer: 2 months — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze before baking for best results, or freeze cooked leftovers.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 15 minutes until warmed through and the crust crisps up slightly.
Troubleshooting
Mustard coating burns and turns black during the broiling step
Cause: The broiler is too powerful or the rack was placed too close to the heating element
Fix: Scrape off the heavily burnt sections, patch with any remaining mustard sauce, and loosely cover with foil before continuing to bake
Prevention: Ensure the rack is at least 15 centimeters away from the heat source and monitor closely without walking away
Coating falls off the skin
Cause: The skin was too wet before applying the paste
Fix: Cannot be fixed after cooking, but the meat will still be flavorful
Prevention: Thoroughly pat the poultry dry with paper towels before brushing on the marinade
Cultural Context
The culinary term deviled originated in 18th-century Great Britain to describe foods heavily prepared with hot spices and sharp condiments, most notably mustard and cayenne pepper. While deviled eggs remain the most ubiquitous iteration today, applying this fiery, tangy paste to poultry creates a robust, highly seasoned crust historically beloved in British and American taverns. Cornish game hens, a commercial crossbreed developed in the United States in the 1950s, provide the perfect individual-sized canvas for this assertive flavor profile.
