How to cook chicken gherkin with crispy skin. Chicken gherkin in the oven

On store shelves you can find an unusual type of bird that resembles a quail - the gherkin chicken. But it is only related to the quail by its small size.

The gherkin is not as bony, fattier and is a small broiler carcass. More expensive farm gherkins are free-range and therefore have less fat.

Miniature chickens have the same nutritional properties as regular boiler chicken, but their meat is more tender.

Therefore, the calorie content of gherkin chickens is high - 139.7 kcal (plus or minus 10 kcal). This is due to the peculiarities of keeping and fattening.

Important! Gherkin chicken meat is non-dietary. It is purchased as a delicacy.

Chicken gherkin in the oven - 4 holiday recipes

Cooking gherkin chicken in the oven with a golden brown crust and juicy tender meat is quick and easy. Chicken gherkin is baked in the oven in half an hour and does not require any effort on the part of the housewife. Such chickens, served on a large platter for a festive table, look impressive. Even spoiled gourmets will enjoy their aroma and taste. Young broilers got their name not from their small size, but from the English name Cornish chicken. The meat of this bird is tender and juicy. And based on size and weight, they can be served at the rate of one chicken per serving. Delicious chicken gherkin in the oven

This is a simple recipe, but the results are always excellent. Ingredients:

2:2257

gherkins – 2 pcs.;
garlic – 5-6 cloves;
rosemary – 6 pcs.;
butter – 50 gr.;
salt pepper.

Preparation:

2:210

Rinse the chicken carcasses and pat dry with a towel.
Rub them with salt and pepper inside and out.
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add a couple of sprigs of rosemary and two cloves of garlic. It is better to crush the garlic with the back of a knife so that it releases its aroma faster.
Lubricate the carcasses with flavored oil inside and out.
Place the remaining garlic and sprigs of herbs inside each chicken.
Tie the legs so that the carcasses retain their beautiful shape.
Place the pan with the chickens in a very hot oven for half an hour.
You can periodically take out the baking sheet and pour the juice over the carcasses to get a beautiful and crispy crust.
Remove the mold and remove the strings from the legs.
Place the finished gherkins on a plate; you can place boiled potatoes or fresh vegetables along the edge.

Small chickens are prepared one for each guest.

Stuffed chicken gherkin in the oven

Cooking chicken gherkin in the oven with stuffing will allow you not to think about the side dish. After all, this is a complete dinner with meat and rice with vegetables. Ingredients:

3:2636

gherkins – 2 pcs.;
pumpkin –100 gr.;
rice – 100 gr.;
soy sauce – 60 gr.;
honey – 1 tbsp;
mustard – 2 tsp;
tangerine – 1 pc.;
salt, spices.

Preparation:

3:270

In a cup, mix soy sauce, honey, mustard and tangerine juice. Add spices to your taste. It can be a mixture of Provençal herbs or curry. You can add dried garlic and ginger. Focus on your preferences.
Coat the prepared chicken carcasses with half of this mixture.
Cook the rice and mix it with pumpkin pieces.
You can use any vegetables instead of pumpkin. Mushrooms and onions are perfect.
Pour the remaining marinade into the rice and pumpkin mixture, add herbs and spices as desired.
Stir and stuff your gherkins with this mixture.
Tie the legs, place them in a suitable form, after greasing it with oil.
Place in a preheated oven for half an hour.
This dish is best served in portions, making a cut so that the filling can be easily removed with a fork.

This way you can cook chicken for dinner with your family, or for a party with a small circle of friends. Chicken gherkin in the oven in the sleeve

To avoid long-term cleaning of the oven from oil splashes, you can cook the chickens in a roasting bag. Ingredients:

4:2711

gherkins – 2 pcs.;
lemon – 1 pc.;
garlic – 2-3 cloves;
soy sauce – 30 gr.;
olive oil – 2 tbsp;
salt, spices.

Preparation:

4:243

Mix lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil in a cup. Press the garlic and add chicken spices.
Coat the washed chickens with this marinade and leave in a cool place for an hour.
Place the carcasses in a baking sleeve and secure the ends. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake the gherkins in a very hot oven for about half an hour.
Ten minutes before cooking, cut open the bag to allow the chicken to brown.
Serve with vegetable salad, or prepare a side dish of your choice.

Such aromatic and juicy chicken can be prepared for lunch on a weekend, or served as a hot dish for a holiday. Chicken gherkin in the oven with buckwheat

In Rus' it was customary to stuff piglets and geese with this filling. Why not cook chicken this way! Ingredients:

5:2175

gherkins – 3 pcs.;
mayonnaise – 150 gr.;
buckwheat – 300 gr.;
champignons – 300 gr.;
onion – 1 pc.;
salt, spices.

Preparation:

5:214

Coat the prepared chicken carcasses with mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Set aside.
Cook the buckwheat.
Chop champignons or wild mushrooms and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
Peel the onion, chop and fry in a separate frying pan.
Mix mushrooms, onions and buckwheat. Add salt and spices if desired.
Pack the chicken carcasses tightly with this mixture.
Place on a baking sheet and bake until done.
The buckwheat will be soaked in the juices of the chickens and will become a juicy and aromatic side dish for the gherkins.

When serving, you can sprinkle the dish with fresh herbs. Source 5:1275

Description of the breed

Birds of the Cornish breed are white in color. The feathers fit tightly to the body. The physique is massive: wide back and chest. Muscles are visible on the limbs. Chickens are short. Roosters are taller, their necks are longer, their limbs are strong and widely spaced. The metatarsus are massive, bright yellow. The head is proportional to the body. Roosters have a large leaf-shaped comb with teeth on their heads. Males have well-developed earrings.

Males always guard females. Feeding begins only after his family moves away from the feeders. A family is usually formed of 20 females and 1 male. 2 roosters do not get along in the same family. They constantly have fights over chicken.
The hens sit well in the nest.
You can get 150 eggs from them per year, weighing 62 g.
The breed is a late ripening breed. The hen lays her first clutch at 8 months.
The young grow quickly. At 2 months, a chicken normally weighs 1.3 kg. Chickens are raised for meat. They are slaughtered at the age of 4-5 months.
The weight of an adult rooster is 5 kg, a chicken weighs 4.5 kg.
Both cockerels and chickens are used to obtain meat. Some females, which are highly egg-laying, are left to produce offspring.

Chickens differ in color by gender. Hens have dark stripes on their backs. Cockerels have yellow down. At 10 days, individuals can be distinguished by their plumage by examining the feathers on the wings. In chickens they have different lengths. Cockerels have the same feathers.
Experts advise purchasing young animals at the age of 10 days. They are already accustomed to the food and to certain living conditions. The survival rate of Cornish chickens is 98%. The indicator is considered high.

Baked chicken gherkins or how to cook chicken gherkins, shades of nuances:

It is definitely better to take the gherkins chilled. But if you bought frozen or for some reason were forced to freeze them, then this is also not a problem. The marinade works wonders.
About the marinade, we kindly ask you to follow all the ingredients! Perhaps you have not used ginger before or nutmeg seems like a strange ingredient in a poultry marinade. Just trust and try, you definitely won't be disappointed. Here, as they say, do not add or subtract. The only thing that can be painlessly replaced is olive oil with sunflower oil. You can save a little.
Of course, the chickens will marinate in two hours, but if you marinate overnight, the effect will be better. Especially if you have frozen gherkins, spending the night in the marinade will only be a plus.
About baking, if about the first part, skin side down, there is nothing special to add, except that initially you need to put the chickens skin side down. Then in the second stage, skin side up, there are nuances. Every oven is different, so you need to focus on yours. What do I do to get a fried crust? I keep it for ten minutes on the second level from below, plus ten minutes on the second level from above. If I leave it on the bottom for the full 20 minutes, the crust won't be as appealing. If I lift it straight up, it will burn. So you'll have to watch here, at least for the first time.

Cook and eat with pleasure! Chicken gherkins baked in the oven - the most delicious recipe!

Here you can find a recipe for Gherkin Chicken with Pepper-Tomato Sauce and Honey-Orange Glaze!

4.41 — 10 votes

Servings: 4 people

Serving: 350g | Calories: 810kcal | Protein: 85g | Fat: 51g

Ingredients

▢ 4 pieces chicken gherkins
▢ 50 ml olive oil (sunflower)
▢ 50 ml soy sauce
▢ 0.5 pcs lemon
▢ 1.5 tsp. dried ground ginger
▢ 1.5 tsp. ground nutmeg
▢ 7-8 cloves garlic
▢ salt to taste
▢ ground pepper to taste

Instructions

We wash the carcasses and dry them with a paper towel.
We cut the gherkins along the breast bone as for tapaka chickens.
Prepare the marinade: mix nutmeg, ginger, squeeze the garlic through a garlic press, add lemon juice, oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything.
Coat the chickens well with the marinade, place them in pans, mix again, cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet, skin side down. Place the baking sheet on the second level from the bottom in the oven, preheated to 220 degrees in grill mode. Cook for 20 minutes.
Turn the chickens over to the other side and place in the oven for another 20 minutes. Here you need to focus on your oven, I keep it on the second level from the bottom for 10 minutes + 10 minutes on the second level from the top
Take out and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe video:

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The nutritional value

Vitamins

Choline 118 mg
PP Vitamin PP (NE) 6.2042 mg
H Vitamin H 8.4 mcg
E (TE) Vitamin E (TE) 0.3 mg
C Vitamin C 2 mg
B12 Vitamin B12 0.4 mcg
B9 Vitamin B9 3.3 mcg
B6 Vitamin B6 0.5 mg
B5 Vitamin B5 0.8 mg
B2 Vitamin B2 0.2 mg
B1 Vitamin B1 0.07 mg
A (RE) Vitamin A (RE) 40 mcg
PP Vitamin PP 3.1 mg
A Vitamin A 0.04 mg

Macronutrients

Co Cobalt 10 mcg
Mo Molybdenum 5 µg
F Fluorine 130 mcg
Cr Chromium 8 mcg
Mn Manganese 0.015 mg
Cu Copper 68 mg
I Iodine 4 mcg
Zn Zinc 1.26 mg
Fe Iron 1.5 mg

Microelements

S Sulfur 180 mg
Cl Chlorine 76 mg
P Phosphorus 210 mg
K Potassium 300 mg
Na Sodium 100 mg
Mg Magnesium 25 mg
Ca Calcium 10 mg

How to cook chicken gherkin in a frying pan

If you fry a gherkin in a frying pan, it will be crispy and juicy. A grill pan works well for this, but you can also use a regular one.

1 chicken;
Half a teaspoon of paprika;
A teaspoon of dried green basil;
A teaspoon of finely chopped green onions;
6 tablespoons of white semi-dry wine;
Salt;
Oil for frying.

Cooking method:

First, spread the carcass, as for “tobacco,” and marinate in a mixture of wine and spices.
After half an hour, transfer it to a frying pan heated with oil and press down with pressure. This way the meat will cook well and even the bones will become crispy and edible.
After 20 minutes, turn the carcass over to the other side, press down again and fry for another 20 minutes.
The meat is ready when clear juice flows out of it. Baked potatoes with yogurt and herb sauce or Greek tzatziki sauce work well for this dish.

Chicken gherkins: recipe with step-by-step instructions

Why gherkins?

The term “chicken gherkin” appeared quite recently, two or three years ago. This is the same broiler, but it has not reached the required weight for its category. Such specimens weigh only 350 grams, and are only larger in size than quail. That's why they were nicknamed gherkins - in honor of small cucumbers collected before they are fully ripe. It is believed that their meat contains less growth hormones, and this, they say, is better for the health of the people who eat them. It seems that this is a simple marketing ploy to sell the “undersized” ones, because such dwarfs are not spoiled with special food during their lifetime. But we will not delve into the secrets of poultry farms here, but will look at how to cook gherkin chickens. Here are some proven recipes.

Provençal bird

Both broilers and gherkin chickens are suitable for this dish; the recipe is identical. It is necessary to wash the carcass, remove the skin on the neck (but do not damage it) and put softened butter mixed with Provençal herbs under the skin. Try to distribute this mixture over the entire surface, as far as you can reach with your finger. Squeeze one head of garlic through a press. Mix with sliced lemon. Stuff the belly of the bird with this mixture. A baking sheet should be greased with any fat, chicken carcasses should be placed there, and covered with chopped potatoes (8-10 small tubers will be enough for two gherkins). Season with salt and pepper and place in an oven preheated to medium temperature. Chicken gherkins, the recipe for which we have outlined, ripen for 40 minutes or an hour.

Surprise on the grill

Defrost three or four carcasses, wash and dry. We cut it as for the “Chicken Tobacco” dish, that is, along the breastbone. Squeeze the head of garlic into a deep bowl, add half a teaspoon of grated ginger and nutmeg. Pour in the juice of half a lemon, a quarter cup of soy sauce and the same amount of olive oil. Add spices and salt. Place the chickens in this container and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. After this, place the carcasses on a baking sheet, skin side down, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 220 C. Transfer them to another barrel and bake for another 20 minutes. Chicken gherkins, the recipe of which is reminiscent of cooking shish kebab, can be tried at a picnic when the coals have burned out enough.

How to cook gherkins in pots

Finely chop 4 cloves of garlic, parsley and dill, mix it with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and a spoonful of coarse salt. Rub the mixture inside and outside of two carcasses and leave for two hours in a warm place. Cut bell peppers and carrots into strips, and two potatoes into cubes. Saute the onion in 3 large tablespoons of butter, add vegetables, salt, add spices, and simmer a little. Place the carcasses with vegetables in pots, add a quarter glass of water, and cover with a lid. Then put in a cold oven at 200 C for an hour.

Chicken gherkins - modified recipe

This is a variation on the theme of chickens in pots. Along with bell peppers, you can bake eggplants or zucchini. Tomatoes add color to the dish, but they must first be scalded and peeled.

Variation with bacon

The only problem with gherkins is that their meat is lean, and therefore when baked in the oven it can dry out. To prevent this from happening, try wrapping portioned pieces in... thin slices of bacon. This technique will not only preserve juiciness, but also give the dish a smoked aroma. It would be useful to wrap pitted, scalded prunes in this roll.

Tandoori chicken with avocado

The chicken is a versatile bird. Chicken meat is considered a dietary product; boiled chicken is involved in many weight loss diets, and chicken meat is recommended for baby food. Roasting a whole chicken is not as difficult as many people think, although it does take quite a bit of time. But the result is worth it, especially if the baked carcass becomes the main dish of the holiday table.

Ingredients for 4 servings

2 chickens;
2 limes;
3 tablespoons tandoori paste;
400g natural yoghurt;
2 avocados;
1 small onion;
a bunch of cilantro;
5 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
salt to taste.

Cooking steps

Chop half the cilantro and mix with 300g of yogurt, tandoori paste, lime coke, and salt to taste. Lubricate the chickens generously with the resulting mixture and leave the carcasses to marinate for a couple of hours (or better yet, overnight).

Before cooking, remove the carcasses from the refrigerator to let them rest for at least an hour at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 210'C. Place the chickens on a baking sheet lined with parchment, pour over vegetable oil and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes. 5 minutes before cooking, turn on the grill function to brown the chicken.

At this time, cut the avocado into thin slices, peel the onion and cut into strips. Chop the remaining cilantro.

Serve chicken with salad and remaining yogurt. You can also cut the meat off the bones and mix with other ingredients and serve as a salad.

How to cook chicken gherkin in a frying pan

If you fry a gherkin in a frying pan, it will be crispy and juicy. A grill pan works well for this, but you can also use a regular one.

Ingredients:

1 chicken;
Half a teaspoon of paprika;
A teaspoon of dried green basil;
A teaspoon of finely chopped green onions;
6 tablespoons of white semi-dry wine;
Salt;
Oil for frying.

Cooking method:

First, spread the carcass, as for “tobacco,” and marinate in a mixture of wine and spices.
After half an hour, transfer it to a frying pan heated with oil and press down with pressure. This way the meat will cook well and even the bones will become crispy and edible.
After 20 minutes, turn the carcass over to the other side, press down again and fry for another 20 minutes.
The meat is ready when clear juice flows out of it. Baked potatoes with yogurt and herb sauce or Greek tzatziki sauce work well for this dish.

Good varieties

Choosing the right variety is the key to successfully growing delicious gherkins. Most Popular:

“Parisian gherkin” is an early-ripening crop, pollinated by bees. The first harvest is harvested 41 days after planting in the ground. The fruits reach 6-10 cm in size.
“Moravian Gherkin F1” has high taste qualities and grows no worse in the ground than in greenhouses.
“Gerda F1”, “Kai F1” - these varieties have similar parameters and give a good harvest even in conditions of lack of heat.
"Advance F1" is an early ripening crop with excellent taste characteristics, the length of the fruit is 7-9 cm.
“Thumbelina F1” is an early ripening variety, unpretentious to storage and transportation conditions.
“Harmonist F1” - the crop has the longest fruiting period, bunched ovaries are formed during the growing season.
“Chinese resistant” is a hybrid with high immunity that is not afraid of most diseases. Read about cold-resistant Chinese cucumber here.

Subtleties of breeding

Cornish roosters and hens are ready to breed at 25–27 weeks of age.

When kept on deep litter, there are 10–12 hens per 1 rooster. Roosters mate 5–10 times per day.

In homestead conditions, close to natural ones, 15–20 hens are produced from 1 rooster.

White gherkin chickens are born with yellow fluff and weighing 35–40 g.

The hen takes care of her children herself, and the necessary conditions are provided for those hatched in the incubator.

The young animals, dried and heated in the incubator, are planted in boxes on paper bedding in the amount of 30 heads per 1 m².

Temperature from days 1 to 5: 29–30°C, from 6 to 10 — 26°C. Then the temperature is lowered by 3°C daily until it reaches 16–18°C.

Chicken gherkins - a recipe for cooking on the grill

A fragrant and tender dish can also be cooked over coals - chicken gherkins on the grill will be even tastier than the usual kebab. You can cook them whole by threading the carcasses onto a large skewer or skewer, or by spreading them over the breast and placing them on the grill.

3 birds;
3 tablespoons soy sauce;
A tablespoon of olive oil;
A tablespoon of paprika powder;
A teaspoon of hot chili;
A tablespoon of honey.

Cooking method:

Mix all the ingredients and coat the inside of the carcasses well.
Tie the legs and wings with culinary thread so that the bird has a beautiful shape.
Thread the carcasses onto a skewer, one at a time, or three at a time, one after another.
To prevent the carcasses from spinning on a skewer, take one that is not round in cross-section, but square or twisted.

Next, on a skewer, spread the marinade over all the carcasses and leave for about 30 minutes. During this time, prepare not too hot coals and fry until the meat is cooked.

Delight your family with a delicious dish - see the original recipe! Small and tender, with an exquisite aroma and rich taste - this is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of chicken gherkins cooked in a frying pan. As a rule, I cook them according to the principle of preparing the famous Tabaka chickens, especially since I have the appropriate frying pan.

Further use

Until 1946, despite its excellent meat qualities, Cornish chickens were little used in poultry farms. The reasons for this were: low egg production and egg fertilization, poor hatchability and slow fledging of the young.

For many years, poultry farmers have carried out breeding work aimed at improving the production qualities of Cornish chickens.

From 1959 to 1973, white Cornish dogs came to the USSR from the USA, Canada, Japan, and Holland.

Today, the Cornish chicken breed is considered promising for the creation of early-ripening meat broiler chickens.

Cornish roosters, when crossed with Plymouth Rock and Cuchin hens, are the basis for breeding two- and four-line industrial crosses, the best of which weigh 1.6–1.7 kg at the age of 7 weeks.

The most popular: crosses Neva-2, Broiler-6 and Baltika-4.

Chicken gherkins - a recipe for cooking on the grill

3 birds;
3 tablespoons soy sauce;
A tablespoon of olive oil;
A tablespoon of paprika powder;
A teaspoon of hot chili;
A tablespoon of honey.

Cooking method:

Mix all the ingredients and coat the inside of the carcasses well.
Tie the legs and wings with culinary thread so that the bird has a beautiful shape.
Thread the carcasses onto a skewer, one at a time, or three at a time, one after another.
To prevent the carcasses from spinning on a skewer, take one that is not round in cross-section, but square or twisted.

Next, on a skewer, spread the marinade over all the carcasses and leave for about 30 minutes. During this time, prepare not too hot coals and fry until the meat is cooked.

Chicken in white wine

This dish is very high in calories and will require not the simplest ingredients - which makes it all the more interesting to prepare. Introduce your loved ones to your new culinary recipe!

Ingredients:

Chicken gherkin 2-3 pcs;
Lettuce (leaves) – ≈50 grams;
Cherry tomatoes – 8-9 pcs.;
Chicken broth – 200 ml;
White wine (dry) – 200 ml;
Basmati rice;
Champignons – 100 grams;
Onions – 1 pc.;
Cream – 50 grams;
cloves, allspice.
Paprika – 5 grams;
Khmeli-suneli – 3 grams;

Cooking method:

Prepare the carcass. To do this: cut the chicken down the breast, separating the backbone. Beat the meat, rub with salt and spices and leave in the refrigerator for 20-25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180-190ºС.
Grease the carcasses with oil and place on parchment previously greased with oil (sunflower or olive). Cook for 25-30 minutes, basting occasionally with broth.

For the sauce: chop the onions and mushrooms and fry them in vegetable oil, adding a little salt and pepper to taste in a small saucepan. Add the remaining broth (50 grams) and, bringing to a boil, add cream. Next, bring to a boil again, stirring constantly over low heat. Then remove and beat in a blender. Finish cooking by placing the sauce in a steam bath and adding wine.

Recipes

There are a huge number of recipes for cooking chicken, among which everyone can find a dish to their taste. Let's look at some of them.

Baked poultry with potatoes

Ingredients for 1 serving:

chicken gherkin – 1 piece;
potatoes - 2 medium-sized tubers;
garlic – 2 cloves;
vegetable oil – 1 teaspoon;
lemon juice – ½ teaspoon;
thyme – ½ teaspoon;
salt - to taste.

The cooking process is quite simple.

Rinse the gherkin, dry it and coat it with a marinade of vegetable oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic and salt. The chicken can be left to marinate in a cold place for several hours or baked immediately.
Peel clean potatoes, cut into large slices and mix with a mixture of vegetable oil, salt and thyme.
Place the potatoes on a greased baking sheet and place the chicken on top.
Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Checking the readiness of the meat is simple - just pierce the breast with a wooden skewer or a regular knife. If clear juice comes out, you can be sure that the dish is ready.

If desired, potatoes can be replaced with bell pepper. In this case, you will get a new dish, no less attractive than when combined with potatoes.

Stuffed bird

Stuffed chicken is an excellent healthy and satisfying dish. It harmoniously combines poultry and side dishes.

To prepare the dish you will need the following products:

gherkin – 1 piece;
rice – 70 grams;
pumpkin – 150 grams;
soy sauce – 2 tablespoons;
honey – 1 teaspoon;
vegetable oil – 1 teaspoon;
salt, pepper - to taste;
brine - 3 tablespoons of salt and sugar for 1 liter of water.

Let's take a step-by-step look at how to cook stuffed chicken.

Rinse the chilled or defrosted chicken under running water and place in brine.
Boil the washed rice until half cooked.
Cut the pumpkin into small cubes.
Mix rice, pumpkin, add half a portion of soy sauce.
Prepare the marinade by combining the second half of the soy sauce with honey, vegetable oil, salt and pepper.
Remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with a paper towel and brush with the prepared marinade.
Stuff the bird's belly with a mixture of rice, pumpkin and soy sauce.
Pour 1 cm of water into a baking dish and place the chickens in it.
Place the pan in the oven, the temperature of which should be about 170 degrees.
Bake for 30 minutes, basting the gherkins with the resulting juice from time to time.

Stuffed chicken gherkins are juicy, flavorful and satisfying. They are able to decorate any feast, giving it originality and piquancy. Gherkin chicken meat is used in both children's and adult menus. It is indispensable for dietary nutrition and for restoring the body after illnesses. The beneficial properties of gherkins are beyond doubt.

Chicken gherkins, which can be baked in the oven, are suitable as a tasty addition to the side dish. Find the recipe in the video below.

Chicken gherkins are delicious, baked in a ceramic dish with a side dish of rice and mushrooms! This time there will be no turkey on the holiday table, but gherkin chickens. Gherkins are not only small cucumbers; this is also the unofficial name for small chickens.

The tender meat of gherkin chickens will appeal to both adults and children. The taste of gherkins has not yet been spoiled by the large amount of compound feed that is fed to chickens on our farms. Carnival in Rio, Lantern Festival in Thailand, Equinox Day, Full Moon Night and even Oktoberfest. Gherkins are chickens weighing less than 1 kg. Our birds weigh 400 g each.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the chickens. Gherkin chickens - what could be better for an amazingly delicious family dinner! Gherkin chickens will create a real sensation if you have invited guests (for any reason).

Content requirements

How to hold

Cage and floor type of rearing is suitable for the Cornish chicken breed.

Birds kept in cages have fattier meat than their peers raised on the floor and kept free-range.

On 1 m² of chicken coop floor, 4–5 heads of adult birds and 9 heads of young birds are placed.

Multi-tiered cages make it possible to rationally use the space of a small poultry house. 10–11 adult birds per 1 m² are placed in cages.

About the poultry house and walking

The poultry house is built in a place protected from the winds. The walls are lined with mesh or sheets of galvanized iron to protect the chickens from rodents.

The optimal height of the poultry house is 1.8 m. The windows are located on the south side, taking into account the rule: for 8–10 m² there is 1 m² of glazed surface.

To prevent the Cornish from gaining excess fat, a walking area is set up for them next to the poultry house. Birds can exercise at any time of the year, leaving the room through a hole. A hole is made at floor level and surrounded by a vestibule. The exit from the vestibule to the street should be on the side of the first opening.

Climate and litter

The permissible humidity is 60–70%, so the poultry house is equipped with ventilation. In small chicken coops, they use windows or holes in the wall that are closed in cold weather. Large rooms are equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation.

Heating must be provided in the poultry house to maintain a constant temperature of 18–20°C in winter.

Sand or a mixture of ash and dry clay is poured into an ash bathtub measuring at least 1.2×0.8×0.3 m.

Ash or lime is poured onto the floor of the chicken coop, then covered with a layer of straw, sawdust or shavings. As it gets dirty, new layers of litter are laid on top.

In the spring, the floor in the chicken coop is cleaned, washed with caustic soda, and the walls are whitened with lime milk.

Inventory

The perches are planed from smooth wooden blocks with a cross-section of 4x6 cm and nailed at a distance of 30 cm from the wall and at a height of 90 cm from the floor.

Nests are made according to the size of the chickens and arranged in 1-2 tiers at a height of 60–70 cm from the floor.

Feeders are used for their intended purpose - for dry food, wet mash, grass. For dry food you can use bunker containers.

Trough, vacuum or nipple drinkers are filled with fresh water every day.

Side dishes

It is very important to decide in advance on the type of side dish. If it is rice or, say, buckwheat porridge, then the little chickens will go into the oven all alone

But if potatoes are chosen as a side dish, then you should first peel them, cut them into even slices and spread them over the entire surface of the baking sheet. This will be a kind of bed or blanket for the gherkin chicks. The recipe allows for other vegetables to be used instead of potatoes, for example, zucchini, sweet bell peppers, eggplants, etc. The main thing is that the cooking time for the vegetables is approximately the same as the cooking time for the chicken.

If potato tubers are chosen as a side dish, then a thin layer of champignons and onions can be placed on top of them. At the final stage of preparation, gherkin carcasses are unloaded onto all layers.

If you look at popular photos of recipes for chicken gherkins in the oven, you can see that the dish is made even on a regular grill. Of course, this is only if the side dish is not prepared at the same time as the main product. After all the ingredients are placed on a baking sheet, put it in the oven for 55-65 minutes. The temperature in the cabinet should reach 200 degrees. Experienced housewives advise periodically opening the oven and pouring juice over small carcasses, which will release in large quantities. It is thanks to this manipulation that the chickens ultimately acquire an appetizing, ruddy and even “tan.”

Chicken in the oven (a simple recipe for every day)

This dish will take no more than an hour to prepare, so it can be prepared not only as a holiday roast, but also for a regular dinner with family or friends. We will need:

2-3 chickens weighing 400-500 grams;
butter – 50 grams;
garlic – 5-6 cloves;
rosemary – 6 sprigs;
black pepper - to taste.

For the marinade:

about 1.5 liters of water,
3 tbsp. l. salt,
2 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Cooking process:

Prepare the marinade by adding salt and sugar and stirring thoroughly. Let the meat soak, leaving it in the marinade for 30 minutes. This will make the meat even juicier and reveal its true flavor.
After marinating, rinse and dry the meat. Rub it with pepper and spices. There is no need to add salt, because... the chicken is already saturated with marinade.
In a frying pan or small saucepan, melt the butter and fry the garlic until darkened, adding the rosemary sprigs.
Preheat the oven to 200 C.
Coat the chickens with oil and place in a baking dish. The meat should be in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Helpful advice!

To prevent the chicken from becoming dry, periodically pour in the released juices.

If the skin of the chicken turns golden, the dish is ready. If the meat is ready, but there is still no crust, experienced housewives use a grill with airflow.

Productivity

Weight

Live weight is the main indicator of the productivity of the Cornish chicken breed:

roosters – 4.2–4.8 kg, chickens – 3.2–3.6;
young animals at 8 weeks: hens - 1.2-1.4 kg, cockerels - 1.4-1.8.

Oviposition

At the age of 180 days, gherkin hens begin to produce eggs with light brown shells.

Egg production is 100–130 pieces per year, weighing 58–60 g. 70% of chickens hatch from hatching eggs.

The decline in egg production occurs at the age of 40 weeks.

Change of plumage

The annual molt begins when daylight hours become shorter - in August. The feather change lasts 2–4 months and is accompanied by a decrease in productivity.

Adequate feeding and good lighting make it possible to postpone this process to September and shorten it to 1.5 months.

During molting, the nutritional value of the Cornish chickens' diet is increased by using cottage cheese, skim milk and other available high-calorie feeds. Minerals and vitamins are provided by the addition of shells, chalk, eggshells, sprouted grains and yeast feed.

Chickens that moult in July are culled.

Chicken gherkins in the oven with rosemary and garlic

This is the simplest and fastest recipe. But, nevertheless, it is very tasty - you will definitely like the combination of juicy tender meat and crispy, aromatic crust. The taste and smell of garlic and rosemary goes well with chicken.

Ingredients:

One carcass per serving;
3 cloves of garlic and 3 sprigs of rosemary per 1 bird;
50 grams of butter;
Salt, sugar to balance the taste, ground pepper.

Cooking method:

First of all, mix the marinade, which will saturate the meat and make it even more tender and juicy.
In 1.5 liters of water, dissolve 3 level tablespoons of salt and approximately the same amount or slightly less sugar.
Completely immerse the meat in the brine and keep it in it for no more than half an hour, then rinse with clean water and pat dry with a towel.
Rub the marinated carcasses with pepper and a little salt outside and inside.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry half the garlic and half the rosemary until the butter darkens.
Grease the carcasses with oil, and place the remaining garlic and rosemary inside the birds.
Place them in a heat-resistant form.
Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes or until the meat runs clear when pierced.
While baking, pour the rendered juice over the meat.
If you want a crispy crust, place the baking sheet under the grill for 5 minutes, turning on the fan mode.

Serve your gherkins on a bed of vegetable stew or a mix of fresh lettuce leaves.

To summarize: the pros and cons of the breed

Poultry farmers highly appreciate the Cornish breed, but also note some disadvantages:

tendency to obesity, which negatively affects the taste of meat;
low fertilization and hatching of chicks;
late fledgeling of young animals and frequent freezing;
chicken aggressiveness;
leg diseases due to too much body weight in adults, especially males.

Among the advantages, poultry farmers noted the following indicators:

chicken survival rate of 80-85% of the batch;
care of hens for offspring;
productivity of chickens laying up to 150 eggs per year;
unpretentiousness and rapid adaptation of adults to cold weather.

Cornish is the most common breed of chicken that is raised on an industrial scale in Russia.

Ingredients and benefits of the product

Nutritional value per 100 g of product is:

proteins – 18 g;
fats – 7 g;
carbohydrates – 0 g;
dietary fiber – 0 g;
water – 0 g.

The calorie content of the product is 140 kcal. The composition of poultry meat is distinguished by a valuable set of vitamins and minerals. Among them, it should be noted vitamins B, A, E, PP and minerals - magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur, copper, zinc.

Beneficial effects on the human body:

improving the activity of the heart muscle, increasing the elasticity of blood vessels;
normalization of blood pressure, prevention of strokes and heart attacks;
maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels, preventing atherosclerosis;
strengthening the immune system.

Feeding stages

Chicken feed

An important period in the life of Cornish chickens is the first 10 days. At this time, their digestive organs grow rapidly in order to subsequently ensure maximum absorption of a large volume of food.

The chicks need to be fed as early as possible. The diet for the first 3 days may consist of cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and finely crushed oatmeal.

The diet for Cornish chickens from day 3 and for 3 weeks is presented in the table:

Chicks are provided with free access to clean water.

Food for adults

The share of concentrated feed in the diet is at least 50%. This category includes feed, wheat grain, oats, corn, sprouted barley, and turf.

Skim milk, cottage cheese, whey and food waste are used as protein feeds.

Cornish chickens eat beans and peas and boiled potatoes well.

In summer, chickens eat plenty of green food; in winter, they are given silage, root vegetables, pumpkin, and cabbage leaves.

Separately, gravel 4–6 mm in size is poured into the dishes, which helps the chickens grind rough food in the stomach.

Pine needles are a good vitamin supplement that can be added to your diet all year round.

Mineral elements of chicken are obtained from shells, table salt, limestone, and bone meal.

For every 100 g of dry food, an adult bird needs 300 ml of clean water.

The most delicious recipes for cooking chicken gherkins in the oven

03 Apr

It turns out that not only small cucumbers are called gherkins, but also small chickens. However, they received this name not for their miniature size. The breed to which the mini-chickens originally belonged is called Cornish.

Accordingly, a “Cornish hen” in English will sound something like “Cornish hen,” which is similar to the French “cornichon.” Here's a play on words. Today, a gherkin can be called a chicken of any breed weighing about 350-1000 g. “Exquisite” carcasses are distinguished by juicy, tender meat and quick cooking.

You can bake them with different side dishes and in different marinades. Now I will tell you how to prepare chicken gherkins in the oven. My favorite recipes, supplemented with photos, are in front of you. But the methods of cooking chicken in the oven are not limited to.

They can be baked on the grill, in a slow cooker, fried in a frying pan or in a convection oven. They are as easy to cook as large broilers, but much faster.

Specifics of baking whole gherkins

Since chickens of this breed are small in size and weight, the duration of their baking is most often 30-40 minutes, unlike broilers and domestic chickens, which should be cooked for at least 1-1.5 hours.
Almost all marinades for regular chicken are suitable for pickling gherkins. Recipes for baking mixtures can be found here, for example. The following spices are combined with tender meat: turmeric, rosemary, paprika, pepper, thyme, hops-suneli, utskho-suneli, Provencal herbs, dry adjika, coriander, marjoram, garlic, ginger, etc. Marinades are prepared on the basis of oil, kefir, tomato or simply rub the carcasses with dry seasoning.
To make the gherkins even more juicy and tender, before cooking they are soaked in cold drinking water with the addition of salt and sugar. For 2 liters of liquid take 3.5 tbsp. l. salt and 2.5 tbsp. l. granulated sugar. Soaking duration is 20-30 minutes.
Small gherkins (weighing 350-400 g) can be served in portions.
Small carcasses can be stuffed with rice, buckwheat, dried fruits, potatoes and other fillings.

Ingredients for 2-3 servings:

chilled chicken carcass weighing 700-1000 g – 1 pc.	raw smoked bacon – 8-10 strips
potatoes – 4-6 tubers	garlic – 4-5 cloves
crushed pepper - a pinch	vegetable oil – 1 + 1 tsp.
thyme, rosemary – 2-3 sprigs each	fine salt - a pinch
lemon juice – 1 tsp.

Bacon-wrapped chicken and potatoes recipe:

-1-
Wash the gutted gherkin under the tap. Remove moisture from the surface. Prepare a simple oil-based marinade (1 tsp) by mixing your favorite spices. Two or three types will be enough. I used finely chopped 1 clove of garlic and coarsely ground pepper mixture. Add lemon juice. Add a little salt to the marinade and stir until it dissolves.

Brush the top and inside of the chicken with the marinade. Cover with cling film. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You can marinate longer if time permits, but no more than 3 hours. It is also permissible to start baking immediately, without marinating.

-2-
Inside the carcass, place 1 whole garlic clove, a sprig of fresh rosemary (or 0.5 tsp dried), 1-2 stems (a pinch of dried leaves). You can also place half of the lemon, cut together with the peel, from which the juice has been squeezed.

-3-
Secure the skin at the hole with toothpicks or sew it with kitchen thread. Cross your legs and tie them.

-4-
Wrap the smoked bacon strips around the chicken, intertwining them.

-5-
If desired, season with a little thyme and rosemary leaves separated from the branch. Mix with your hands. Place the potatoes in an ovenproof dish. Place chicken on top.

Peel the remaining garlic (2-3 cloves) and place it whole around the gherkin chicken.

Place the mold in a heat-resistant bag (sleeve). Place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on the weight of the carcass). Then remove the bag. Return the chicken to the oven for 10-15 minutes. The bacon will brown, become crispy, and the potatoes will reach perfect condition.

-6- The chicken turns out to be the most tender, juicy, and aromatic. Potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to disperse, and serve.

What is a gherkin chicken

There are two versions regarding the origin of the name of these miniature chickens:

The name comes from the French word cornichon, which refers to small-fruited cucumbers. The name focuses on the small size of the chicken carcass. The weight of a gherkin chicken is only 350–600 g, while a regular broiler weighs 2.2–2.5 kg. One medium-sized frying pan fits three gherkin chickens at once.
The name comes from the phrase Cornish hen, which literally means Cornish chicken.

How do gherkin birds appear on supermarket shelves? They are mainly supplied by poultry farms. The period of growing a broiler is 39–42 days.

At first, poultry farms sold unfinished chickens due to forced slaughter. But given the interest of buyers in the product, a new direction has emerged - the deliberate supply of mini-chickens, which were served as a premium product. They cost more than conventional boilers.

You can buy such a chicken from farmers. They are grown on pasture, so farm gherkins are not so fatty and have different taste properties. Unlike soupy farm chickens, they are more tender.

It is worth considering that the gherkin carcass, despite its miniature size, can be large for one serving, and sauces will add calories. If you prefer serving portioned, you can serve these chickens in halves. But many guests will not refuse a whole gherkin weighing 350–400 g. You can also place the carcasses on a common dish: they will look simply luxurious.

The homeland of Cornish birds is England. Cockfighting was popular in the country. Breeders were tasked with breeding a good fighting breed of chickens. The crossing was carried out between Indian females of the Azil breed and Malaysian fighting cocks. The result did not live up to expectations. The birds did not have an aggressive character, but had good muscles.

Further breeding work was designed to improve the meat quality of chickens. In 1990, a new Cornish breed appeared. It is also called Cornish and Cornish. Birds have meat-egg productivity. What are the characteristics of Cornish? What kind of care do they require?