Jen’s Cornish Hen Soup

Hardware

2 tablespoons olive oil (or use rendered hen fat)
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 Clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, fine dice
2 stalks celery, fine dice, young leaves reserved
4 cups chicken stock (unsalted)
4 cups vegetable stock (unsalted)
4 cups water (or whatever it takes to cover the hens)
1 cup white wine
- chardonnay, sav blanc or mild riesling
3 cornish hens (or 1 chicken), cleaned/dressed
- They usually come from the store ready, but check inside cavity
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup chopped parsley
- Half amount if dried
2 cup small egg noodles
1 tsp tarragon
Lemon juice
Tiny pinch coriander
Salt
Pepper

Have you ever had roasted chicken skin? Oh, are you in for a treat.
– Love, Jimi

Preheat oven to broil. Place hens in small roasting pan in the oven. Brown, flip and brown the other sides. If you broil under the oven, be careful, they’ll burn fast. If you want to render more fat, broil in the main oven.
While the hens are browning, prep vegetables. Size depends on how chunky you like your soup.
In a large stock pot, drain the rendered fat from the hens and heat the pot.
Cook onion and celery in rendered fat until translucent.
Add carrots and cook until bright.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant
Deglaze with wine, scrape up the bottom and simmer for 10 minutes
Add tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
Add hens, stocks, water and a bay leaf. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook for 1.5 hour (or until the hens start to fall apart).
Remove hens from soup and let cool. Remove meat from bones and shred, discard skin (fun tip, spread the skin out on a toaster oven pan, season and broil until crispy; enjoy).
Return meat to pot and stir in parsley, coriander, celery leaves and lemon juice.
Taste stock and correct seasoning if necessary (salt, pepper, and lemon if necessary).
Add noodles. Cook for another 20 minutes or until desired doneness.

White wine: Coppola, Hahn, La Crema