Garlic Lemon Roasted Cornish Hens

This is not a typical meal for us, but I made these roasted Cornish Hens for dinner and totally loved it, so I thought I would share. I marinated the hens overnight so they would absorb all the great flavors in the marinade and then roasted with onions and lemons! Delicious! I love that I can prep this on Sunday and roast it on Monday for dinner, just need to pop it in the oven! This pairs really well with my Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Makes 2 – 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cornish hens (spatchcocked)
• 6-7 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 tsp of fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of lemon pepper
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 lemon sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 white onion (sliced)

Instructions:

1. Add garlic, olive oil, fennel, paprika, lemon pepper, salt, black pepper and thyme to a food processor and pulse to make a smooth marinade.
2. Wash out the hens with water and pat dry. Spatchcock the hens by removing the back bone. I used my kitchen scissors and it was quite easy given the hens are so small.
3. Cover the hens with the marinade ensuring the breast is fully covered. I also put the marinade under the skin and covered the remainder of the hen with the marinade. See pictures below.
4. Place the hens in a clean dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Remove the hens from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.
6. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
7. Layer a cast iron skillet with the onion and lemon slices.
8. Add the hens on top of the onion and lemon and roast on the middle rack for about 30 minutes.
9. Remove the skillet from the oven and add 1/2 cup of white wine to the pan, careful not to pour on top of the hens.
10. Return the skillet to the oven and roast for another 20-30 minutes until the skin is completely browned.
11. Remove the skillet from the oven and place in a serving platter. Squeeze the juice of one lemon all over and some salt. Cover with foil and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
12. In the meantime, put the skillet with the onions, lemons and drippings from the hen on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When warm, remove from heat.
13. The sauce should be a little thick and well seasoned.
14. To serve, spoon the sauce on top of the hen along with onions. This pairs really well with my mashed potatoes and some roasted vegetables.