Cornish wild chickens are first spatchcocked and then grilled flattened with the weight of a brick. Perfect for entertaining!
Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares his favorite way to cook Cornish Grilled Chicken! Delicious. ~ Elise
Cornish game chickens. Almost everyone has seen them, either sitting next to the chicken at the meat counter or hiding in the freezer like little fowl-shaped hand grenades. They kind of look like chickens, though are you?
Disappointed that they aren’t actually something exotic? I was too until I started eating them many years ago.
Think of Cornish chickens as single serving chickens, which is exactly why the breed was created in the 1950’s. And because they’re so young and tender, Cornish chickens are perfect for the grill.
They cook pretty quickly already, but the birds will cook even faster if you spray them.
Yes I know. Spatchcocking sounds like medieval torture, but it’s really just a simple way to spat a bird well enough to get good contact with the grill so it cooks faster.
Once you’ve spatulated your chickens (this method works with any bird, by the way), you can grill them as is or grill them al mattone, which is Italian for “with a brick”. And yes, that’s exactly what you do.
I don’t like messing with birds grilled this way. Sure, you can marinate them in something, but I prefer my chickens flavored with nothing more than fire, salt, pepper, and maybe a squeeze of lemon.
Grilled Cornish chickens
It’s handy to have a spray bottle with some water in it while you’re grilling to put out any flames on the grill.
ingredients
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4 wild chickens
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Extra virgin olive oil
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salt and black pepper
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lemon wedges (optional)
method
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Spatchcock the Cornish game chickens:
To evenly grill the chickens, consider flattening the chickens using a method called spatchcocking. To do this, first cut off excess fat and the wingtips of the wild chickens.
Turn the birds over and use kitchen scissors to cut out the spine. Use your hands to flatten the birds.
You can stop here, but I like to cut out the ribs and saber bone — essentially the hen’s shoulder blade — so the chickens are easier to eat.
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Oil and salt the chickens, let them come to room temperature:
Pat the chickens dry with paper towels, then brush with the olive oil.
Salt well and set aside for 15-30 minutes; The chickens cook better when they are at room temperature.
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Prepare the grill:
While the chickens are coming to room temperature, heat up your grill. Make sure the grates are clean. Just before placing the birds on the grill, soak a paper towel in some oil and use tongs to wipe down the grill grates.
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Grill the chicken breast side up, weight down if necessary:
Place the chickens breast side up (open side down) on the grill. Watch Them: Chances are they want to bend up, which you don’t want to do. You want the chickens to have good, firm contact with the grill.
If they bulge, place a foil-wrapped brick on top of the hen. Grill like this for 10 minutes with the grill cover open. If you don’t have rocks handy, simply mash the birds on the grill with tongs or a spatula.
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Turn the chicken over and grill the other side:
After 10 minutes, turn the birds over and put the bricks back on top if using. Grill for 5 minutes or until the birds’ skin is nicely browned. Flip the birds back over and cook them breast-side up, to your liking – you should no longer need the bricks.
Depending on the heat of your grill, you may not need much more time, but on cool grills, this final step can take up to an additional 10-15 minutes, depending on how you like your chickens.
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Season and let rest before serving:
Remove the chickens from the grill and grind some black pepper over them. Let the birds rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Links:
How to make Spatchcock (Butterfly) Chicken, here on Simply Recipes
Cornish Hens with Smoked Soy Honey Rum by She Simmers
Guilty Kitchen Wild Chicken with Caprese Salad
