cornish hen with mustard cream sauce

Cornish hen with mustard cream sauce is long on style and short on work. Roast the hens. Maybe baste them once along the way. Whip up a quick reduction sauce and you’re done. It pairs beautifully with potatoes of any sort. Mashed, roasted, or along side a potato galette.

I am a fan of the cornish hen. We don’t get poussin where I live so cornish hen is my go to stand-in. One bird is enough for two moderate portions so even a dinner for eight isn’t that hard to do.

Cornish hen with mustard cream sauce. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner and perfect for a dinner party.

Dijon mustard and cream work well together. There’s a trick to make them come together though. Add a bit of stock or water to the mustard to thin it. Stir it up before you add it to the sauce. That way you won’t get clumps of mustard floating around in your sauce. Unless you like clumps of mustard, I guess.

 

Cornish hen with mustard cream sauce. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner and perfect for a dinner party.
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3.50 from 2 votes

cornish hen with mustard cream sauce

Cornish hen with mustard cream sauce. The sharpness of the mustard is mellowed by the cream for a nicely balanced sauce.
Course Main
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cornish hens or small chickens
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream 35%
  • salt
  • pepper
  • olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400F. Place a roasting pan in the oven to heat.
  • Rub the cornish hens with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Roast the hens for 20 minutes, then baste with the rendered fat in the roasting pan.
  • Roast the hens to an internal temperature of 165F in the breast, another 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove roasting pan from the oven. Place the hens on a cutting board.
  • Spoon the fat from the pan, leaving any browned bits.
  • Place the pan over medium heat.
  • Deglaze with the white wine then reduce to a syrupy glaze - about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the stock and reduce by half.
  • While the stock reduces, mix the mustard with a couple teaspoons of additional stock or water.
  • Add the mustard mixture and stir to combine.
  • Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce slightly.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Quarter the cornish hens. Add any accumulated juices to the sauce and stir to combine.
  • Serve 1/2 hen per person.

6 thoughts on “cornish hen with mustard cream sauce”

  1. I’ve never had cornish hens before, but it seems like something I should be trying since there’s only the two of us here and we are constantly overloaded with leftovers. The creamy mustard sounds heavenly with potatoes as well.

    Reply
    • Cornish hens are a staple for me. They are just the right size for two and I find them a bit more flavourful than regular chickens. Do try one soon!

  2. 5 stars
    Love Cornish hens for simple, elegant meals. This mustard cream sauce sound delicious, will definitely have to give it a try next time!

    Reply
  3. This recipe looks amazing!! Easy and elegant. Perfect for when you need to impress a dinner guest, but don’t want to make a lot of effort (basically, my life in a nutshell). I’ll be trying this soon!

    Reply

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