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Herb-Crusted Cornish Game Hens

Herb Crusted Cornish Game Hens - Blog-1
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Herb-Crusted Cornish Game Hens are the perfect date night dinner for two, an intimate Thanksgiving or Christmas lunch for four, or a festive Friendsgiving! These individual hens are rubbed with herbed vegan butter and roasted to golden brown perfection.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cornish Game Hens
  • 4 tbsp Miyoko’s Creamery® European Style Cultured Vegan Unsalted Butter, or butter of choice
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Thyme, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole
  • 1/2 Navel Orange, divided
  • 1/2 Lemon, divided

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Dry the skin of the Cornish Hens by patting with paper towels. (Make sure to do this step thoroughly or the herb butter won’t stick as well). 
  2. Butter: To a small bowl, add the butter, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  3. Rub: Brush or rub the mixture all over the hens – outside and underneath the skin. 
  4. Aromatics: Add 1/4 of an orange segment, 1/4 of an lemon segment, 2 garlic cloves, and a small sprig of rosemary and thyme to each of the hen cavities. Truss (tie the legs together) with the twine. 
  5. Roast: Place breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 1 hour or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with a meat thermometer and it reaches 165° degrees F. 
  6. Brown: To brown the skin, increase the temperature to 400° degrees F during the last 10 minutes, or turn the oven to high broil and brown the skin for just a couple of minutes. (If you use the broil option, be sure to stand and watch so the skin doesn’t burn).

Notes

  • Herbs: Another great alternative, to using the fresh herbs I recommend, is to use my DIY Garden Herb Salt. It contains all the same ingredients and is just as delicious!

Find it online: https://www.alifedelicious.com/herb-crusted-cornish-game-hens/