I am so excited to share this simple and out-of-this-world Cornish game hen recipe with you. If you have never made Cornish hens before, it's not a problem. This recipe is great for beginners. This is one of the best roasted hen recipes ever. Even though the boneless chicken breast seems to be the star in most recipes, the whole bird can't be ignored. There’s nothing quite like a tender and juicy hen.
Poultry on the bone and with its skin has so much flavor on its own. But, nothing goes better with a bird than wine. So, use a cup for this dish, then pour the rest in your glass and enjoy! You could make this recipe using chicken, but I prefer a Cornish hen. They are so small and they weight a little over a pound each. One reason I love roasting Cornish hens is because it literally takes half the time in the oven as a 6-pound chicken. The best part is... you only have to do about 10 minutes of work and let the oven do the rest! Perfect for anytime!
Ingredients:
2 cornish hens
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
8-10 cloves of garlic
6 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup white wine (I used Charles Shaw Chardonnay from Trader Joes)
1/2 a cup chicken stock
1/2 cup finely chopped herbs (I used rosemary and parsley - but sage and thyme would be amazing too)
4 cloves of garlic
5 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
3 - 4 tablespoons of olive oil (I like to coat the chicken to ensure a beautiful crispy brown skin)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place chopped onion in a deep sided roasting pan.
In a bowl, mix wine, chicken broth, mustard, salt, pepper, and herbs together.
Pour 1/4 of the sauce into the cavity of the hens and stuff them with garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. (Sage would work perfectly too.)
Place the hens on top of the chopped onion and pour the rest of the sauce over the hens.
Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch discs and place around the hen.
Drizzle over the olive oil over the hens and potatoes and roast uncovered for 1 1/2 hours or until the chickens are cooked to desired doneness. (Turn them over half way through so that the underside gets golden brown and crispy too.)
Remove from oven and serve immediately.
