ROASTED HEN RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Rinse hen with cold tap water; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
• Generously sprinkle seasonings inside of hen. Place 3 to 4 Tablespoons cubed butter inside cavity of hen. Stuff celery, onion, and apple inside cavity as well. Generously rub outside of hen with soft butter; cover with strips of bacon. Secure bacon with toothpicks. Generously salt and pepper outside and dust lightly with poultry seasoning.
• Bake 25 minutes per pound or until internal meat reaches 180 degrees F internal heat (using meat thermometer). NOTE: if you purchase hen with a thermometer, don't remove from oven until it pops out. Once the hen is baked, remove from oven and cover with a tent of aluminum foil; allow it to rest 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
  2. Peel and halve the carrot lengthways, then peel and thinly slice the onions.
  3. Take both legs off the birds and snap off the back bone at the base of the breastbone (or get your butcher to prepare them for you).
  4. Place a shallow, heavy-based casserole dish over a medium–high heat, add 50g butter and brown the legs, skin-side down. Flip and repeat on the other side.
  5. When they are brown all over, remove from the pan, add the carrot and onion, reduce the heat to low, pop on the lid and cook slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the vinegar and wine, then reduce by half. Return the legs to the pan, skin-side up. Add the thyme and pour over the stock to almost cover. Bring to a simmer, pop on the lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours, until you can pull the meat from the bone.
  7. Leave the dish in the oven but take off the lid so that the skin on the legs colours and crisps up, then remove from the oven, season and keep warm. Reduce the oven to 100ºC/gas ¼.
  8. Place a heavy-based frying pan over a medium–high heat and colour the crown on all sides.
  9. Add the remaining butter, reduce the heat and continuously baste the birds. Once they’re golden and crispy, cook in the oven until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 59ºC. Carve and serve with seasonal veg.