Soy sauce, vinegar and garlic always say “adobo” to me, the Filipino combination I love. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you might have guessed when I posted photos and directions explaining how to butterfly a chicken, Cornish hen or turkey there would be a recipe coming that uses the technique. This is it. We’ll go a step further and halve the hens too, also shown in the earlier post.
This is a delicious dish with subtle flavors and just a handful of ingredients. I first made it more than a decade ago when it appeared in Gourmet and it’s always a hit. It’s a perfect dish for entertaining or, making only half, for the two of you. I hope you’ll give this one a try.
Filipino-style Adobo Cornish Hens
Adapted from Gourmet, 1997
1/2 cup/ 4 oz soy sauce
1/2 cup/ 4 oz cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 Cornish hens, butterflied and halved
Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, oregano, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Put hens in a large sealable plastic bag and pour soy sauce mixture over them. Marinate hens in the refrigerator at least 2 hours and up to 12, turning the bag once or twice.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450F/230C/Gas 8.
Place hens, skin side up, in a baking dish and pour the marinade around them. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
Discard bay leaves and serve with rice.
Serves 4
For other Adobo-style recipes on this blog, see Chicken Adobo, which I make with a whole chicken, although a cut-up one can be used, and Cold Chicken Adobo Salad, which is perfect for summer.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a nice recipe, would love to try : )
Janet @Gourmet Traveller88´s last blog ..chocoholic II: chocolate exhibition Lucern Museum of History, Switzerland, Apr – Aug 2009
It’s very good. Give it a try sometime!