I wanted to do something interesting for dinner instead of just roasting a Cornish Game Hen, so I tried smoking it. It can get a little smokey (especially if you don't have a good vent fan above the stove) but it adds a really great flavor. Next I want to try it with ribs. This method gives you a smokey flavor in a short amount of time, so it's great if you want to smoke something but don't have a big green egg or some sort of serious smoker. This was super juicy inside, but the smokiness can make it seem a little dry, so I'd recommend serving it with a sauce, maybe BBQ.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 Cornish Game Hen (1-2 lb)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper
3 tbsp wood chips (I used hickory)
2 bay leaves
spices (your choice - I used thyme and garlic powder)
Directions:
Butterfly the cornish game hen (cut out the back bone with kitchen shears and press the breast flat) and stick it in a brine for 30 minutes to two hours. For the brine, mix the 1/4 salt and 1/4 sugar with about 1/4 cup really hot water and stir until it dissolves. Add cold water to fill up a medium bowl and put the hen inside, then cover and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 400. Soak wood chips in water for a few minutes.
Then dry them on paper towel.
To prepare the smoker, line a heavy-bottom pan with tin foil (this helps with clean up) and top with the wood chips and bay leaves.
Add a layer of tinfoil over the wood chips and top with a rack or a steamer - something that can withstand heat.
Take the chicken out of the brine and pat it dry. Season with a mix of salt, pepper, and whatever spices you want (you can use garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chipotle, etc). Put the chicken on the steamer basket or rack.
Turn the heat to medium and wait until you can see smoke coming up (about 5 minutes). Cover the pot tightly and smoke for 10 minutes.
The chicken will have a nice brown skin. Remove it from the smoker and put it in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
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