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  • RECIPE: Tarragon Game Hens

    From MummyChunk@3:633/10 to All on Saturday, September 05, 2026 10:57:14
    TARRAGON GAME HENS
    Cornish game hens basted in tarragon butter

    ----------------------------------------


    This method of ?basting? fowl by spreading an herb butter under the skin infuses the meat with the flavor of the herbs, which usually stays mostly on the skin with normal external basting.



    Yield

    Serves 4.

    Ingredients

    * 2 Cornish game hens
    * 6 Tbsp butter, 100 g, at room temperature
    * 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 30 ml
    * 2 Tbsp dried tarragon, 30 ml
    Or 1 Tbsp / 15 ml fresh tarragon.
    * 1/8 tsp salt, 0.5 ml

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C.

    2. Prepare the hens by rinsing thoroughly, checking for pin feathers, and patting dry.

    3. Remove any yellow fat found at the cavity opening.

    4. Gently separate the skin from the flesh by sliding your fingers between the skin and meat and tearing the connecting membrane.

    5. It is easiest to begin at the cavity opening and work up the breast.

    6. Leave the skin attached at the lower two-thirds of the wings and at the base of the legs.

    7. Work carefully over the breastbone area so you do not tear the skin, which is firmly attached there.

    8. Thoroughly blend the butter, lemon juice, tarragon, and salt.

    9. If the butter is not soft, it will be difficult to incorporate the lemon juice.

    10. Using your fingers, spread a layer of herb butter under the loosened skin of each hen.

    11. Spread a small amount of herb butter on the outside of the skin.

    12. Tuck the wings under the back of each hen.

    13. Set each hen on its side, breast down, on a roasting rack over a roasting pan.

    14. Roast for 15 minutes.

    15. Turn the hens to the other side.

    16. Roast for another 15 minutes.

    17. Set the hens on their backs, breast up.

    18. Roast for a final 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total cooking time.

    19. Each time the hens are turned, baste by spooning the pan juices over the birds.

    20. The hens are fully cooked when the juices run clear and the drumstick moves easily in its socket.

    21. Remove the birds to a warm platter and let them sit for 5 minutes.

    22. Reduce the pan juices over high heat to a thin glaze consistency.

    23. Serve the reduced pan juices as a sauce.

    24. You may flavor the pan juices with a little dry white wine.

    25. Quarter the birds before serving. Each bird should serve two people.

    Grilling Variation

    This basting method can also be used when grilling, either over a barbecue or in the broiler.

    For summer grilling, split each bird along the spine with a sharp heavy knife before spreading the butter under the skin.

    Spread the bird breast-side up and crack the breastbone to flatten it with a sharp blow from the heel of your hand.

    Tuck the wings under themselves and leave the legs and thighs loose.

    The birds can be cooked ahead of time and taken on a picnic, or prepped in advance and grilled at the picnic.

    Notes

    Margarine may be substituted for the butter without major noticeable effects on the flavor.

    In summer, the contributor likes to serve these hens with either tabbouleh or Italian tomato salad: quartered ripe tomatoes sprinkled with chopped fresh basil and drizzled with olive oil.

    The suggested wine is white zinfadel, as spelled in the original recipe.

    The contributor often makes 2 cups or more of herb butter at a time, using a food processor to blend it thoroughly. The butter keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

    This recipe?s key technique is putting the tarragon-lemon butter under the skin. That places the seasoning directly against the meat and helps keep the small birds moist while roasting.

    The oven method rotates the hens through three positions: one side, the other side, then breast-up. This helps the small birds roast evenly while the butter and pan juices baste the meat.

    The final pan glaze should be thin, not a thick gravy. A little dry white wine can be used to sharpen and lift the butter-rich pan juices.

    Verified Recipe Note: The original recipe gives doneness cues of clear juices and a loose drumstick. Those cues are preserved above. When adapting the recipe today, many cooks may also check poultry doneness with a thermometer.

    Verified Recipe Note: The source note says the herb butter keeps 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. Because it contains butter and herbs, keep it cold and use clean utensils when portioning it.

    Rating

    * Difficulty: Moderate
    * Time: 15 minutes preparation, 45 minutes cooking
    * Precision: Approximate measurement OK

    Contributor

    Pamela McGarvey
    UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
    Los Angeles, California
    {hao, sdcrdcf}!cepu!pam

    ----------------------------------------

    Origin Note

    This recipe comes from the USENET Cookbook project, a moderated electronic recipe collection distributed through early Internet newsgroups. The original was written in the project?s structured recipe markup, where HENS-TARRAGON was the recipe key and M marked it as a main dish.

    The preserved entry lists the recipe as last modified on 10 Jun 1986 and posted to mod.recipes on 12 Sep 1986. It was contributed by Pamela McGarvey of the UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program in Los Angeles, California.

    The recipe is a compact roast-bird method centered on tarragon-lemon butter under the skin, frequent turning and basting, and a reduced pan-juice glaze. It also includes a summer grilling and picnic variation, making it useful beyond the oven-roasted version.

    ----------------------------------------

    Original Header

    Path: decwrl!recipes
    From: pam@cepu (Pamela McGarvey)
    Newsgroups: mod.recipes
    Subject: RECIPE: Tarragon game hens
    Message-ID: [5292@decwrl.DEC.COM](mailto:5292@decwrl.DEC.COM)
    Date: 12 Sep 86 03:31:33 GMT
    Sender: [recipes@decwrl.DEC.COM](mailto:recipes@decwrl.DEC.COM)
    Organization: UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Los Angeles
    Lines: 97
    Approved: [reid@decwrl.UUCP](mailto:reid@decwrl.UUCP)
    Replied: 10 Jun 86 15:20


    View the attachments for this post at: http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=710710463#710710463


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  • From Damon Cloche@3:633/10 to All on Saturday, September 05, 2026 12:40:01
    On Sat, 05 Sep 2026 10:57:14 -0400
    mummycullen@gmail-dot-com.no-spam.invalid (MummyChunk) wrote:

    TARRAGON GAME HENS
    Cornish game hens basted in tarragon butter

    ----------------------------------------


    This method of ?basting? fowl by spreading an herb butt
    er under the
    skin infuses the meat with the flavor of the herbs, which usually
    stays mostly on the skin with normal external basting.



    Yield

    Serves 4.

    Ingredients

    * 2 Cornish game hens
    * 6 Tbsp butter, 100 g, at room temperature
    * 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 30 ml
    * 2 Tbsp dried tarragon, 30 ml
    Or 1 Tbsp / 15 ml fresh tarragon.
    * 1/8 tsp salt, 0.5 ml

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C.

    2. Prepare the hens by rinsing thoroughly, checking for pin feathers,
    and patting dry.

    3. Remove any yellow fat found at the cavity opening.

    4. Gently separate the skin from the flesh by sliding your fingers
    between the skin and meat and tearing the connecting membrane.

    5. It is easiest to begin at the cavity opening and work up the
    breast.

    6. Leave the skin attached at the lower two-thirds of the wings and
    at the base of the legs.

    7. Work carefully over the breastbone area so you do not tear the
    skin, which is firmly attached there.

    8. Thoroughly blend the butter, lemon juice, tarragon, and salt.

    9. If the butter is not soft, it will be difficult to incorporate the
    lemon juice.

    10. Using your fingers, spread a layer of herb butter under the
    loosened skin of each hen.

    11. Spread a small amount of herb butter on the outside of the skin.

    12. Tuck the wings under the back of each hen.

    13. Set each hen on its side, breast down, on a roasting rack over a
    roasting pan.

    14. Roast for 15 minutes.

    15. Turn the hens to the other side.

    16. Roast for another 15 minutes.

    17. Set the hens on their backs, breast up.

    18. Roast for a final 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total cooking
    time.

    19. Each time the hens are turned, baste by spooning the pan juices
    over the birds.

    20. The hens are fully cooked when the juices run clear and the
    drumstick moves easily in its socket.

    21. Remove the birds to a warm platter and let them sit for 5 minutes.

    22. Reduce the pan juices over high heat to a thin glaze consistency.

    23. Serve the reduced pan juices as a sauce.

    24. You may flavor the pan juices with a little dry white wine.

    25. Quarter the birds before serving. Each bird should serve two
    people.

    Grilling Variation

    This basting method can also be used when grilling, either over a
    barbecue or in the broiler.

    For summer grilling, split each bird along the spine with a sharp
    heavy knife before spreading the butter under the skin.

    Spread the bird breast-side up and crack the breastbone to flatten it
    with a sharp blow from the heel of your hand.

    Tuck the wings under themselves and leave the legs and thighs loose.

    The birds can be cooked ahead of time and taken on a picnic, or
    prepped in advance and grilled at the picnic.

    Notes

    Margarine may be substituted for the butter without major noticeable
    effects on the flavor.

    In summer, the contributor likes to serve these hens with either
    tabbouleh or Italian tomato salad: quartered ripe tomatoes sprinkled
    with chopped fresh basil and drizzled with olive oil.

    The suggested wine is white zinfadel, as spelled in the original
    recipe.

    The contributor often makes 2 cups or more of herb butter at a time,
    using a food processor to blend it thoroughly. The butter keeps well
    in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

    This recipe?s key technique is putting the tarragon-lemon butter
    under the skin. That places the seasoning directly against the meat
    and helps keep the small birds moist while roasting.

    The oven method rotates the hens through three positions: one side,
    the other side, then breast-up. This helps the small birds roast
    evenly while the butter and pan juices baste the meat.

    The final pan glaze should be thin, not a thick gravy. A little dry
    white wine can be used to sharpen and lift the butter-rich pan juices.

    Verified Recipe Note: The original recipe gives doneness cues of
    clear juices and a loose drumstick. Those cues are preserved above.
    When adapting the recipe today, many cooks may also check poultry
    doneness with a thermometer.

    Verified Recipe Note: The source note says the herb butter keeps 2-3
    weeks in the refrigerator. Because it contains butter and herbs, keep
    it cold and use clean utensils when portioning it.

    Rating

    * Difficulty: Moderate
    * Time: 15 minutes preparation, 45 minutes cooking
    * Precision: Approximate measurement OK

    Contributor

    Pamela McGarvey
    UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
    Los Angeles, California
    {hao, sdcrdcf}!cepu!pam

    ----------------------------------------

    Origin Note

    This recipe comes from the USENET Cookbook project, a moderated
    electronic recipe collection distributed through early Internet
    newsgroups. The original was written in the project?s structured
    recipe markup, where HENS-TARRAGON was the recipe key and M marked it
    as a main dish.

    The preserved entry lists the recipe as last modified on 10 Jun 1986
    and posted to mod.recipes on 12 Sep 1986. It was contributed by
    Pamela McGarvey of the UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program in Los
    Angeles, California.

    The recipe is a compact roast-bird method centered on tarragon-lemon
    butter under the skin, frequent turning and basting, and a reduced
    pan-juice glaze. It also includes a summer grilling and picnic
    variation, making it useful beyond the oven-roasted version.

    ----------------------------------------

    Original Header

    Path: decwrl!recipes
    From: pam@cepu (Pamela McGarvey)
    Newsgroups: mod.recipes
    Subject: RECIPE: Tarragon game hens
    Message-ID: [5292@decwrl.DEC.COM](mailto:5292@decwrl.DEC.COM)
    Date: 12 Sep 86 03:31:33 GMT
    Sender: [recipes@decwrl.DEC.COM](mailto:recipes@decwrl.DEC.COM)
    Organization: UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Los Angeles
    Lines: 97
    Approved: [reid@decwrl.UUCP](mailto:reid@decwrl.UUCP)
    Replied: 10 Jun 86 15:20


    View the attachments for this post at: http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=710710463#710710463



    +1

    When I can get fresh tarragon I have made these almost to the letter.

    I use a George Foreman rotisserie to cook mine.


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