Best Cornish Hen Pot Pie Recipes

MEDIEVAL GAME HEN POT PIE - ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• In a small pot, combine 2 cups water with honey and salt. Heat just until honey and salt are dissolved. Add 1/2 lb ice and stir. When completely cool, add game hen and soak 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.
• In a large pot, combine milk, water and lard. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and dump in the dry ingredients. Stir until it forms a loose dough.
• Turn dough out onto a board, and as soon as it is cool enough, begin to knead. Knead until it forms a smooth dough, then set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Using scissors or shears, cut through the skin along either side of the breast and remove the skin from over the breast. Stuff the cavity with the dried fruit, then tie the legs together with butcher's twine. Place bird on a sheet of parchment and trace around the bird, about 1/2" larger than the bird's shape. Set bird and parchment aside.
• Cut dough in half, then cut one half in half again. Turn the parchment over so the pencil is on the underside. Using the heel of your hand, spread one of the smaller lumps of dough out to fill the shape you traced. Set aside, then repeat with the other small piece of dough; leave it on the parchment. Take the larger piece of dough, using bench flour as needed to prevent sticking, and roll out into a piece about 4" wide by 12" long by 1/2" thick.
• Beat egg yolk and water together to form egg wash. Brush the base piece with egg wash. Scatter thyme sprigs over base, then top with the game hen. Place the long "wall" piece of dough around the game hen, crimping it to the bottom, then overlapping and pinching the two ends together. Sprinkle the breast of the game hen with the allspice, black pepper, cumin and paprika. Brush the top edge of the wall with egg wash, top with the remaining piece of dough and crimp to seal. Brush all exposed dough with egg wash.
• Transfer parchment to a baking sheet, and place in preheated oven. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving. Remove the top of the crust with a serrated or electric knife before extracting and carving the hen for service.

CHEF JOHN'S CORNISH PASTY

Steps:

• Cut flour, lard, cold butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt together in a bowl with a pastry blender until mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in ice water. Mix with a fork until mixture begins to come together; use hands to form into a dough ball.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and forms a firm ball, about 2 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Stir steak, potatoes, onion, turnip, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until evenly-combined.
• Beat egg and 1 teaspoon water together in a small bowl.
• Divide dough into 4 equal rounds and roll each round out to about 1/8-inch thickness and 8-inches in diameter. Brush each dough round with egg mixture.
• Place 1/4 of the steak mixture slightly off-center on each round of dough, and top steak mixture with 2 slices butter. Fold dough over steak filling to form a half moon shape and press edges together to seal. Trim excess dough from edges of pasties. Transfer pasties to the prepared baking sheet and crimp edges with the tines of a fork; poke fork 1 time into the top center of each pasty and brush tops with egg mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbly, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

CORNISH HEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Cut the Cornish hens into eight pieces, reserving the wing tips, necks and backs for stock. Pat pieces dry with paper towels and dredge them lightly with flour. Fry them until golden in the oil and set aside.
• To prepare the stock, combine the celery, onion, carrots, hen backs, wing tips and necks in a stockpot. Add eight cups cold water, salt, pepper and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, turn down and let simmer while you prepare the remaining ingredients for the pies.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the pearl onions in a pan with the olive oil until tender (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, in a large, heavy frying pan, brown the bacon, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour the fat from the pan. Add two tablespoons of the butter and when it is melted saute the cabbage for a minute or two. Remove from the pan and set aside. Stir in the sherry vinegar and the creme fraiche.
• Melt the remaining butter in the saucepan and gently saute the shallots and the mushrooms.
• Line two eight-cup pie dishes or eight two-cup pie dishes with the cabbage. Add hen pieces, tongue, mushrooms, onions, peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Add a quarter-inch of stock. Brush the rims of the pie dishes with the egg yolk. Roll out pastry one-eighth inch thick and place on top, brushing egg yolk. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.