Herb and Garlic Cornish Hens
Is it just me, or is turkey WAY overrated? Year after year, we pretend to like this rather dry, bland meat, when there are so many better otions, like Cornish hens! I have made Cornish hens for friends many times - they are so tender and easy to make. Check out my recipe for Herb and Garlic Cornish Hens, and let me know if they replace the turkey on your table this holiday!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cornish Hens
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of sage
2 slices of lemon
2 cloves or garlic, crushed
4 slices of butter, 1/2 tbsp each
SPICE BLEND
1 1/2 Tsp of salt
1/2 Tsp of black pepper
1/2 Tsp of parsley
1/2 Tsp Thyme
1/2 Tsp Rosemary
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1) The first step is to season your Cornish hens. This can be done as far as a day in advance of cooking. Combine the ingredients of the spice blend thoroughly. Then, coat the outside of each hens with an equal amount of the blend. Save a teaspoon of the blend to add the the insides of the hens. Make sure your hens are seasoned to our liking, and add extra seasoning if you like!
2) When ready to cook, preheat your over to 450 degrees F. Divide and add the slices of lemon, thyme, sage and garlic to the insides of each of the hens. Then, tie together the legs of the hens so the ingredients remain inside and will not come out during cooking.
3) The last prep step for the hens is to put a pat of butter under the skin of the hen, over each of the breast pieces. 2 per hen. This will ensure moist breast meat when your hens are done.
4) Get a shallow baking dish (I use a 9x11 dish). Add the chopped celery, carrots and onion to the pan, sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Then, place your hens on top of the vegetables, breast side up. Drizzle or spray a teaspoon of olive oil over the top of the hens for crispy skin, and place the pan in the oven. Immediately decrease the temperature to 375 degrees, and cook for an hour. The result will be the most tender, moist Cornish hens ever!
Try the recipe - once you learn this technique, you can use it with any poultry. Let me know if you love it!