This Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe is cooked to perfection and drizzled in a delicious rich and velvety gravy. It's simple and uses only a few ingredients.
3lbsCornish hens(1 pack with 2 whole hens depending on how many people you're serving)
½tablespoonkosher salt(½ tablespoon + 1 tsp)
2teaspoongarlic powder
2teaspoononion powder
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
2teaspoondried parsley
2tablespoonall purpose flour
½sweet onion(sliced)
8ozmini bella mushrooms(sliced)
1-½cupwhite wine(I use Pinot)
5tablespoongrape-seed oil(2-Tbsp for searing hens; 3-Tbsp for searing mushrooms and onions)
Instructions
Split each hen in half, wash, pat dry with paper towels, season both sides, and sprinkle on all-purpose flour.
Add grape-seed oil to your cast iron skillet and sear each half with skin side down until crispy golden brown. Remove hens from skillet and place on a clean plate.
To same skillet, add more cooking oil if necessary. Then add sliced onions and mushrooms and sear until caramelized. This will take about 7 to 10 minutes. Add more oil if needed.
Deglaze skillet with white wine while scraping up all the brown bits which is where all the flavor lies. Add a dash of kosher salt. Bring to a boil then turn off burner.
Add hens back to the skillet and place in the oven to roast. While the hens are roasting the white wine will begin to thicken.
When done, baste the hens with the sauce and spoon over the mushrooms and onions over each hen.
Notes
Make sure hens are completely dry before roasting.
Cut the hens in half or spatchcock for faster cooking.
Make sure the top of each half is seasoned liberally.
To prevent the Cornish hen from being overcooked and tasting dry, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees.
FYI - my cast iron skillet is 13-¼ inches in size.
For my classic gravy recipe:
In a small bowl, combine the soften butter and chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, and sage). Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash and pat dry the Cornish hens with paper towels until they're completely dry. Cut each Cornish hen down the middle to create 2 halves, smear the butter-herb mixture over the entire surface of the hens and season. Roast until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Save the pan drippings and skim off any excess oil/grease and discard the oil/grease. Pour the remaining in a sauce pan, add ¾ cup chicken broth and simmer until reduced and starts to thicken. Add 1-2 tablespoon of COLD butter and whisk until the gravy thickens more.