Cornish Rock Hens

[rdperry]

Can someone give me some input on smoking 4 Rock Hens for a dinner party next month.
Rub or no Rub, how many hours at what temp? Using the standard Bradley Smoker.
Any suggestions on side dishes?
Thanks.

[cingnut]

First thing...  Butterfly them by removing the backbone so they lay flat on the rack, breast side up.  I would set the smoker no higher than 250, and be careful how long you smoke, chicken tends to absorb smoke a little faster than other meats and the flavor can get a little overpowering.  These arent very large birds so the cook time will vary depending on size, I would stick to internal temp to know when they are done, I wouldnt go over 170 on the breast.  Keep the vent at least 50-75% open, chicken has a lot of moisture and moisture causes rubbery skin as well as problems maintaining a regular cabinet tempurature.  I doubt anything you do will make the skin as nice a texture as is if were done on a grill, a trade off for the smoke flavor I suppose.  I recommend putting a nice poultry rub or compound butter under the skin, then discard the skin and finish off on a hot grill if you want to add a little sauce and a crispy mouth feel.

I do whole fryer chickens this way and the results are great!