When we sat down to eat this I said to Paul that either Cornish Hen and duck must be an awful lot cheaper in France, or Dorie must have an awful lot of rich friends (or some of both). One thing I've learned from blogging with this group is that they both make excellent weekend dinners in that they're fast, tasty, and more interesting than chicken, but wow are they expensive. At 14 dollars a piece, I decided to make a couple of sides and stretch my two small hens into four servings. I made a Jerusalem artichoke soup from Ottolenghi (except for the second week in a row I couldn't find Jerusalem artichokes, I think their season must be over, so it was really a potato soup) and salad. I also pulled a Challah out of the freezer to round out the meal. I really enjoyed the hens. I did the side-side-back roasting method, and they were perfectly cooked. The skin was crispy, and the meat was moist and flavorful. I rarely like stuffing, but actually enjoyed this one, which I made with hot Italian turkey sausage and half a slice of Challah. This is definitely a recipe I would make again, but definitely not too soon.
Yes, I am with you on the expensive thing. Maybe it's cheaper in France! However, your resulting hens look great.
ReplyDeleteA bit more pricey, but they were good. I enjoyed the stuffing a lot, and it was
ReplyDeletefairly easy to prepare. Have a wonderful weekend.
I feel your pain, Jora. Sometimes cooking with Dorie gets a little pricey. I picked up my dry-packed scallops today for next week's recipe and yikes. I think the fishmonger sees me coming! I rationalize the cost with the thought, "This is what I DO." (Now I learned that quote from Cher when she was explaining why she got up at 3am to proof her croissants. It works and I am passing it on to you. No charge.) Your meal looks delicious and I am glad you made a few meals out of it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right! The veal chops are what shocked me the most...but thankfully, all the expensive dishes have been tasty.
ReplyDeleteYou are resourceful! I just had a cold chicken sandwich for lunch!
ReplyDeleteYes, there have been a few dishes that have caused me to wonder if I needed to sell of a child or take out an extra mortgage on the house. It's been an adventure!
ReplyDeleteI am a little worried about finding those dry packed scallops for this week. I have a feeling a substitution may have to be coming...
Wow, to be honest I don't remember how much the hens cost, but I didn't notice a big jump in my grocery bill. They must be cheaper here. I have never cooked a Jerusalem artichoke myself, I might try it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy grocery store had fresh hens...I paid a total of 12 dollars for the two of them. Each weighed about 1½ lbs. I find it interesting how the price in the US varies so much. Your meal looks delicious, glad you enjoyed it! On to next week! Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteBoth duck and hens are a heck of a lot cheaper in Germany, so I'm going to assume that they are also cheaper in France. I paid 6 euros (approx. 8 dollars) for 2 poussins. A pretty economical dinner in fact. Beef, however, is insanely expensive here and not as good as it is in the States.
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying seeing the different birds being used around the world. Now, I'm thinking it's interesting how big a variation in price there is in the states. I found Cornish hens at the grocery store for just $3 each (about 1.5 lbs). They were on sale, but even not on sale, the price was $4.50 each. Your soup also sounds interesting. Nice menu.
ReplyDeleteYou had me chuckling as well as feeling your pain with the comment about pricing. I do imagine that Dorie has some friends with means (Pierre Herme, I am looking at you....) but also that food is more reasonable in France. My little frozen Cornish Hens cost just over $10 for both, so my prices were more like Kathy's. Also like her I find it interesting how much the prices vary from store to store or region to region in the US. I am also still getting over the sticker shock of the swordfish from last year. I guess I don't think I am a great enough cook to play around with the cost of some of these ingredients and today's scallop purchase I am already bracing myself for :) Glad you enjoyed the hens results regardless and love the idea of the challah in the stuffing and on the side.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience, though mine was certainly tasty, and a nice change. Also, I got them from a fancy store though (it was convenient and I knew they were already defrosted). But this was a fun, easy recipe - perfect for something special, but fast!
ReplyDeleteThese were some pricey hens! But you enjoyed them so it was worth it! I loved my stuffed chicken. The stuffing recipe is great!
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit expensive but tasty!
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