Chinese🥩 Meat

Crispy Roasted Cornish Hen

Name: Crispy Roasted Cornish Hen
Total time: 8 h 50 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 Cornish hen; 2 fermented bean curd; 1 tbsp fermented bean curd juice; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; ½ tbsp hoisin sauce; ½ tsp five-spice powder; ½ tsp white pepper; 2 shallots; 3 garlic cloves; ½ inch ginger; 2 scallions; ½ tbsp sugar; ½ tbsp honey; ¼ cups white vinegar; ¼ cups water; paper towels; kitchen twine; tin foil; water for blanching

⏱ 530 min🍽 Serves 1

A Cantonese-style roasted Cornish hen adapted from traditional roasted squab recipes. The bird is marinated in fermented bean curd, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five-spice, then glazed with a honey-vinegar mixture to achieve a beautifully charred golden-brown skin. Can be cooked in an air fryer or conventional oven. Tender, juicy meat that's perfect for Thanksgiving or special occasions.

High-protein

Adapted from a video by Souped Up Recipes

Making a Cornish Hen in an Air Fryer (or Oven)

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Cornish hen1
fermented bean curd2
fermented bean curd juice1 tbsp
soy sauce1 tbsp
oyster sauce1 tbsp
hoisin sauce½ tbsp
five-spice powder½ tsp
white pepper

Steps

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1
Prepare the marinade: combine fermented bean curd, bean curd juice, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, and white pepper in a bowl. Mash the bean curd and mix everything thoroughly.
2
Add aromatics to the marinade: incorporate sliced shallots, minced garlic, diced ginger, and scallion pieces.
3
Marinate the Cornish hen: pat the bird's skin and cavity dry with paper towels. Place it in the marinade and massage for several minutes, crushing the aromatics to release their flavors. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
4
Make the glaze: combine sugar, honey, white vinegar, and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Turn off heat—it does not need to boil.
5
Remove the hen from the marinade and discard the aromatics, reserving the leftover marinade for gravy.
6
Blanch the hen: place the bird on a rack over a sink and pour boiled water over it to stretch the skin and make it smooth for the glaze.
7
Glaze the hen: brush the glaze evenly over the bird's skin. The sweeteners will caramelize during roasting, creating that beautiful golden-brown color. The glaze is reusable for additional hens.
8
Tie the chicken legs with kitchen twine and wrap the wingtips with foil to prevent burning.
9
Air fryer method: place the hen in the basket without preheating. Set temperature to 300℉ and cook for 35 minutes. Check that the internal temperature reaches 180℉ or above.
10
Crisp the skin: increase temperature to 400℉ and cook for an additional 3–6 minutes to crisp the skin further. Watch carefully to avoid over-charring.
11
Oven method: preheat oven to 350℉. Optionally, use a small fan to dry the skin for 10–20 minutes while the oven preheats (this helps crisp it). Roast for 35 minutes for one hen; add 10 more minutes for each additional hen.
12
Make the gravy: sauté the reserved aromatics (without the liquid) over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until caramelized. Add the remaining sauce and stir. Pour in water and simmer for 1–2 minutes. Strain through a sieve.
13
Broil finish: after 35 minutes, switch the oven to broiler setting and broil for 3–5 more minutes to achieve final crispness and char.
14
Serve: cut the hen open with kitchen scissors. Serve with white rice and green vegetables, drizzled with the prepared gravy.

Crispy Roasted Cornish Hen

Ingredients

Steps

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