How to Roast Cornish Hens

Cornish game hens make a nice meal any time of year; even though they seem fancy, they're easy enough to roast. Try serving with your favorite recipe for cornbread stuffing, or with mashed potatoes. Serves four.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Chef's Knives
• Baking Pans
• Cutting Boards
• Mixing Bowls
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. split Cornish game hens
• 2 tsp. cooking oil
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. ground cumin

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Halve Cornish hens lengthwise using a long heavy knife or kitchen shears.
3. Cut through the breast bone, just off the center.
4. Cut through the center of the backbone.
5. Rinse hens and pat dry.
6. Twist wing tips under back and place hen halves, cut-sides down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
7. Combine cooking oil, salt, paprika and cumin. Brush over hens.
8. Bake hens one hour or until tender and no longer pink.
9. Serve with potatoes or a stuffing of your choice, one hen-half to a serving.

Tips & Warnings

• For a more dramatic presentation and hungry guests, serve one hen per person and roast them whole.
• You can really roast the hens any way you might roast chicken: with fresh lemon juice squeezed over and a few sprigs of rosemary, for example, or with a simple glaze of butter, apricot jam, and white wine, or anything you like.