A very simple recipe for Cornish hen that has great flavor and crunch. Using only bread crumbs and mustard for seasoning, a juicy, quick, and flavorful hen is prepared.

Preparation List for Breaded Cornish Hen with Mustard:

Servings: 4
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 Cornish Game Hens
- 3 tablespoons(45ml) dijon or stone ground mustard
- 3 tablespoons(45ml) olive oil
- 2 cups(475ml) brown bread crumbs (panko can also work but color is not as nice).
- Salt
- Pepper

Breaded Cornish Hen with Mustard Recipe

Spatchcock Hens. Flip whole hen breast side down. Find the spine of the bird, using a meat cleaver or kitchen shears, cut along the left side of the spine, from bottom to top. Then do the same on the right to remove the spine. Then, with the skin side of the hen down, take a large knife and find the breast bone. Place the knife on the breast bone with the blade parallel to it. Break it but do not cut through the meat all the way (see below left image). press the body of the hen flat. Repeat with the other hen.

Fry Hens. Preheat oven to 325 F (170 C). Salt and Pepper both sides of each hen. Heat a pan over medium high heat, add two tablespoons(30ml) of olive oil. Once the pan and oil are hot, add one hen skin side down to the pan. Fry until golden but not done through (5 minutes or so). Flip the hen over and fry the back for 5 minutes or so. Remove from pan and reserve, repeat with second hen.

Bread Hens and Bake. Place hens in a roasting pan or large skillet skin side up. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons(45ml) of mustard with one tablespoon(15ml) of olive oil. Coat the skin side of each hen with the mustard oil mixture. Pour some panko or bread crumbs over the hens, then gently press the bread crumbs onto the hens, then, if there are any bare spots on the hens, add more bread crumbs to fill in these spots and gently press those in. Repeat until all bare spots are filled. Put the pan into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Finish and Serve. Brown bread crumbs look better here because the color of the bread crumbs do not change color much during the baking, you can finish this with a quick use of the broiler, but this must be watched VERY CAREFULLY because it will brown (and burn) very quickly. Cut each hen in half and serve.