Roasted Cornish Hens With Rosemary and Garlic
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4Cornish hens about 1 lb. each
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 tablespoons dry
- 4garlic cloves peeled
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1medium-size onion peeled and quartered
- ¼cup dry white wine
- ¾cup fresh or canned chicken broth
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
325 calories; 23 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 506 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Step 2
Rub the hens inside and out with salt and pepper and remove any excess fat inside. Place one sprig of rosemary and one garlic clove in each cavity and truss the hens, if desired.
- Step 3
Place the hens in a large metal roasting pan. Brush them with the oil. Arrange the birds on their sides. Scatter the necks, gizzards, hearts, livers and onion around the birds. Place the dish on top of the stove and heat until the oil is sizzling.
- Step 4
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, basting occasionally.
- Step 5
Turn the birds on the reverse side and cook for 15 more minutes, basting occasionally.
- Step 6
Remove all the fat from the dish and add the wine and chicken broth.
- Step 7
Reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Place the hens on their backs for a final 10 minutes of cooking. The simmering broth will deglaze the pan as the birds roast, making a gravy. Remove from the oven and pour the cavity juices, including the rosemary and garlic, into the pan. Remove the rosemary and the trussing string, and let the hens rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with the giblets and onions, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious! To get even more flavor into the drippings, I used 2 onions instead of 1. Inserted 1/2 lemon into each hen, plus extra rosemary. Added quartered cremini mushrooms to roasting pan at Step 5, and they were very tasty. I forgot to heat first on stovetop, but results were great anyway. Served with brown rice, but I may roast potatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves in the pan next time.
I squeezed a half lemon into the cavity for additional flavor. My guests loved the taste of the bird. Easy recipe to make!
This was our main course yesterday for Thanksgiving since there were only the three of us but I would have been pleased to serve this to company. The flavor was amazing and it was far less work than roasting a turkey. Instead of roasting the birds whole, we chose to spatchcock them, to ensure more even cooking, but didn't change the cooking times. They came out perfectly browned and delicious. Next time, I think we'll split them down the keelbone as well to make serving easier.
Cut the birds in half, so no flipping required. Added the lemon and extra garlic , as suggested. I also threw in some thyme sprigs. Cooking time was 55 minutes. I do live at almost 7000 ft, so that could have some impact. Since I only cooked two birds, not much fat or drippings, but I used everything. I did add some butter and flour, plus additional chicken broth to make more of a gravy. This was our Thanksgiving poultry so I needed some for the dressing. Quite good. Made for a great Thanksgiving meal for two.
I agree with others to add a slice of lemon into the hen’s cavity along with other herbs you might have on hand. I also added a squeeze of lemon into the gravy and served the roasted hen with lemon wedges on the side. While the hen was roasting, I put fingerling potatoes in with the onions and took them out before adding the wine and chicken stock.
I used sherry instead of white wine bc that's what I had, and added cremini and shiitake mushrooms at the 20 min mark. They both added a lot of umami richness.