Maple and Herb-Roasted Cornish Hens
This dish is hearty, packed with taste and everyone gets their own little bird to pick at. These maple and herb-roasted Cornish hens are really easy to pull together and will look great on your table, especially for smaller holiday celebrations
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp oregano finely chopped
- 1 tsp sage finely chopped
- 1 tsp thyme finely chopped
- 2 tsp rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 cornish hens about 1 3/4 lb each
- 1/2 white onion cut into quarters and separated
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6-8 carrots
- 1 handful small potatoes halved
- salt + pepper to taste
- olive oil to coat
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and place cast iron skillet inside to heat.
- Rinse and pat dry cornish hens. Salt the hens 15 minutes before cooking to draw moisture out. Pat dry again.
- Combine finely chopped herbs (reserve 1 tsp of rosemary) and butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- Carefully slide your fingers under the skin of each breast (from the butt-end of the bird) to create 2 'pockets' between the skin and meat. Rub 2/3 of the herbed butter into these pockets. Season the hens generously with salt and pepper.
- Melt remaining compound butter and combine with maple syrup to create the basting liquid.
- Toss potatoes in oil and remaining rosemary.
- Carefully remove hot skillet from oven and oil the bottom. Place Cornish hens in skillet, breast-side up, and add potatoes, onions and garlic around them.
- Brush melted compound butter onto hens and place skillet back in oven. Be sure to brush the entire bird.
- Halfway through cooking time, add carrots to pan with potatoes and onion. Baste hens with the remaining maple-butter mixture.
- Continue to cook cornish hens until a thermometer placed in the meatiest part of the thigh reads a temperature of 165 degrees F; 45 - 55 minutes. Remove from the skillet, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.