Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Lemon & Sage
Updated Oct 25, 2021, Published Oct 18, 2021
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Cooking for a smaller group of people this Thanksgiving? Try these Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Lemon & Sage instead of turkey.
Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Lemon & Sage
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter or dairy-free buttery spread, softened
- 2 tablespoons (4 g) fresh sage, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 2 (1.5-pound/681-gram) Cornish game hens
- Kosher or fine sea salt, , to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, , to taste
- 1 lemon, , quartered
- Extra-virgin olive oil, , for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Mix the butter, sage, and garlic together in a small bowl.
- Pat the game hens dry, then carefully separate the skin from the breast and spread some of the butter mixture underneath. Spread the remaining butter mixture on the outside of the hens, and generously season with salt and pepper. Place two lemon wedges in the cavity of each hen, then loosely tie the legs together with butcher’s twine.
- Place the hens on a lightly oiled shallow roasting pan, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the skin starts to brown.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting for another 30-35 minutes, until the internal temperature of the hens reaches 170°F.
- Transfer the hens to a cutting board, loosely tent with foil, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Nutrition
Calories: 795kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 59gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 374mgSodium: 210mgPotassium: 862mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 723IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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