Cornish Hens with Tomato, Basil & Garlic
Submitted by maya
Roasted Cornish hens stuffed with cherry tomatoes, fennel, fresh basil, and garlic, served with butter-soft French roasted garlic bulbs.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
110 minThese elegant little birds prove that fancy doesn’t mean complicated.
Each hen gets packed with a fragrant tomato-basil mixture and roasted until the skin turns golden and crispy, while whole garlic bulbs bake alongside until they’re sweet, spreadable, and borderline addictive.
The lemon-pepper marinade keeps the meat juicy, and that herb-tomato stuffing practically bastes the birds from the inside out.
Chef Tips
- Size matters: Look for 1.5-pound hens so each guest gets a generous half-bird portion.
- Garlic magic: Those roasted garlic cloves turn mellow and buttery. Squeeze them onto the meat or spread on crusty bread.
- Rest is essential: Cover and let the hens stand 15 minutes after roasting so juices redistribute instead of running all over your cutting board.
- Skin removal: If you’re watching fat intake, the skin peels right off after resting, but it does protect the meat during roasting.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Rinse hens and drain.
Combine lemon juice and lemon pepper in large bowl; add hens, spooning lemon mixture in cavity of each hen.
Combine tomatoes, fennel, basil, shallots and garlic in medium bowl.
Drain hens, reserving lemon pepper juice.
Place one quarter bay leaf, a lemon slice and a rosemary sprig in cavity.
Spoon in tomato mixture.
Tie legs of each hen together with string, or close cavities with toothpicks.
Place on rack in roasting pan.
Spoon reserved lemon-pepper juice on top.
Roast 1 hour.
Prepare French Roasted Garlic: Meanwhile, combine oil and 3 tablespoons of water in 8 inch square baking dish .
Trim top ½ inch from each bulb of garlic, keeping cloves intact.
Arrange cut side down in prepared dish; add 1 sprig rosemary.
Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes or until very soft.
Let hens stand covered 15 minutes.
Cut in half; remove and discard skin and wind tips.
Arrange halves on 8 dinner plates and spoon tomato stuffing on top.
Serve with 1 bulb garlic on each plate for dinners to squeeze softened cloves out of skins onto hens.
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