Do you know the difference between a cornish hen and a regular chicken? If you don’t, then you’re reading the right article. To set the difference between the two, cornish hen vs chicken, I would like to compare their qualities.
Cornish hen and a regular chicken are two of the many varieties of chicken. Considering that they’re both chickens, there are many very similar qualities but there are plenty that sets these two types of chickens apart. Read on to know more.
What is a Cornish Hen?
A Cornish hen is a chicken variety which is a cross breed of White Rock and Cornish chickens. This small chicken is also known as Rock Cornish hen or Cornish game hen. Sometimes, it is called a poussin, a French word that refers to a young chicken that weighs not more than 1.5 pounds.
Although it carries the word hen in its name, it can be sold either male or female in grocery stores. In North America, this meat is considered fancy because it’s more expensive than regular chicken.
Cornish Hen vs Chicken: Age, Size, and Packaging
The age of processing for Cornish hens ranges between 5-6 weeks old. Their weight is not more than two pounds and they’re often sold whole in frozen packages.
Meanwhile, chickens are classified based on their age. Their classifications include broiler-fryer, roaster, and stewing chickens. Broiler-fryer has the age between 7-13 weeks and their weight ranges from 1.5-4 pounds.
Roasters are aged 3-5 months and weigh around 3.5-7 pounds. Chickens which are more than 10 months old are considered as stewing chickens with a weight that range between 4 to 7 pounds.
Unlike Cornish hens, chickens can be packaged in several ways; such as whole, boneless, or drumsticks. Cornish hens can’t be sold boneless because they’re too small to be deboned.
Cornish Hen vs Chicken: The Taste and Cooking Process
Cornish hen tastes like chicken because it is still a chicken variety, only smaller. Since Cornish hens are younger than chickens, they can be tender when cooked. However, they have a less assertive flavor as compared to chickens.
Since Cornish hens are small, they are suited for individual serving. Cooking one whole Cornish hen for one person offers a high sense of luxury. Grill or roast them whole or in half.
Let it sit in a lemony marinade or apply some spice rub. You can create a stuffing recipe out from them, but be gentle because the skin might tear off.
Broiler-fryer chickens are very tender and they can serve 3-4 persons. You can cook them in a lot of ways, like frying, broiling, and grilling.
Roasters are more flavorful than broiler-fryer chickens, so they are perfect for roasting. Stewing chickens have a tougher meat texture so you need to cook them slowly to create stews and soups.
Cornish Hen vs Chicken: Nutrition
Since Cornish hens are younger than chickens, they contain less fat and fewer calories. They’re also very lean as they composed of more white meat than dark meat. The white meat is rich in niacin while the dark meat is rich is riboflavin.
All poultry are rich in protein which is essential for the development of our muscles. They can be a great source of B vitamins that help prevent cataracts, skin diseases, and heart disorders. Vitamin D helps strengthened the bone while Vitamin A is essential for good eyesight.
Preparation Ideas
Here are some preparation ideas you can do with Cornish hens and chickens.
Juicy Roasted Cornish Hens
Make juicy roasted Cornish hens by seasoning the hens with spices and olive oil. Bake them in a casserole dish with vegetables at the bottom. You can watch how it’s done in this video.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/iCrL7SAdpwA”]
Chicken Stew
Cook chicken stew by sauteing some vegetables and stirring in the chicken broth and tomatoes in a saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and simmer until they’re cooked. Remove the chicken and continue simmering the liquid until thick and return the meat to the stew.
Grilled Chicken
Make a grilled chicken by marinating them first in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, spices, and herbs. Preheat the grill and grill the chicken until cooked thoroughly. Garnish with parsley to serve.
Verdict On Hen Vs Chicken
Between the Cornish hen and chicken, I prefer the chicken because they are very versatile, readily available, and less expensive.
Although Cornish hens have less fat and fewer calories, you can reduce the fats in the regular chicken by not eating the skin and by only eating the white meat. Cornish hens are perfect if you’re feeling luxurious and have only a few people to feed.
Share with us what you prefer between Cornish hens and chickens. To help spread this information, you can post this article on your social media.
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