Roasted Cornish Hens
For some reason these little birds have been on my mind lately. I like having them around the holidays. They are special change from just chicken. I’ve served them to company and they always go over well. Everyone gets some white and dark meat. And if you’ve never had these hens, they really are tasty. There are lots of ways to make these little hens, you can stuff them, roast, broil.. the recipe I am sharing today is simple, but it still will impress your family and guests.
Depending on their size, I will sometimes cut the hens in half before cooking. My original recipe suggests one hen per person, so be the judge on this recipe if you want to split them in half first or not. Either way, you make the recipe the same way and the baking time doesn’t change all that much. This recipe calls for tarragon, but if you don’t care for that herb you can substitute thyme or rosemary.
Roasted Cornish Hens
- 4 Cornish hens about 1 1/4 lbs. each
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 – 3 tablespoons dried tarragon
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lemon sliced (optional)
1. In each Cornish hen place 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon, 1 slice of lemon – if using and a shake of salt and pepper. Sprinkle outside liberally with garlic powder. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
2. About one hour before serving heat oven to 425. Prepare baste by melting butter, add wine and 1 tablespoon of tarragon.
3. In a shallow baking pan (without a rack), place hens, baste and roast for approximately 1 hour, until well browned. Baste several times while cooking.
4. When the hens are done, place on platter and pour drippings (blot fat first) from the roasting pan over hens.
Serves 4
Enjoy!!
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