Cornish Game Hen Soup With Garlic, Ginger & Fried Shallots

Author Notes

In 1949, a fire wiped out a flock of African guinea hens that Alphonsine "Therese" Makowsky and her husband were raising and selling. To replenish their stock, Therese turned instead to Cornish chickens, whose meatiness she had read about in a book and wanted to try breeding herself, and White Plymouth Rock hens, which were favorable for their all-white meat—not to mention their petite, single-serving size. And thus, the perfect cross-bred bird, both meaty and petite, was born.

Most people don't even notice these little chickens at the grocery store today. Like many vintage trends, the Cornish game hen—beloved by the restaurant industry due to its elfinness and ultra-tender flesh—seems to have all but gone out of fashion. Why buy these little birds when there are boneless, skinless breasts and thighs and whole broiler chickens to be had?

But a Cornish game hen is the best “cut” of poultry for a solo portion of soup. Once boiled with fresh ginger and a fat handful of garlic, its flesh becomes meltingly tender (yes, even the breast meat) and the broth rich, fortified, and full of chickeny flavor. There’s something to be said for cooking an animal whole; you get depth from the bones and a richness from the skin and cartilage that you just can’t get from chicken breasts alone.

I never ate chicken breasts growing up. But we did have Cornish game hens—and had them often. Inspired by samgyetang—a Korean dish of glutinous rice–stuffed poussin (young chicken) rapidly boiled with garlic, ginseng, and jujubes (Chinese red dates)—I decided to stuff this week's Table for One recipe, as well. As the chicken boils, the white rice cooks into a sticky, compact stuffing that’s easily my favorite part of the dish (even more than the broth and the meat).

Want to hear more about Korean-American food? On our new podcast Counterjam—a show that explores culture through food and music—host Peter J. Kim talks instant ramyeun hacks, kimchi-jjigae, cheonggukjang, and more with chef Roy Choi and comedian Margaret Cho—check out the episode here. —Eric Kim

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: A Garlicky, Gingery Chicken Soup for the Solo Soul. —The Editors