Roasted Stuffed Cornish Hens

Ingredients:

For the Cornish Hens:

• 2 Cornish game hens (22 ounces each)

• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

• 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano

• 1 tsp each paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 to 2 tbsp melted butter

For the Stuffing:

• 1/3 package Pepperidge Farm cubed Herbed Stuffing

• 1/4 cup chopped celery

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 1/4 grated or finely chopped carrot

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 tbsp dried cranberry, optional

1. Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Sauté celery, onion and chopped carrot for 5 minutes. Pour broth into pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir stuffing into broth. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add cranberry if using. Allow to cool before filling cavity of hens.

2. Wash and pat chicken dry with paper towels.

3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and all seasonings for the hens. Rub the seasoning mix all over the hens, inside the cavity and under the skin. Place hens in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Remove hens 30 minutes from refrigerator before cooking. Heat oven to 400℉.

5. Stuff cavity of birds with the prepared stuffing. With kitchen twine, tie the legs together to keep legs from splaying.

6. Brush the melted butter all over hens. Place in a shallow baking dish that has been oiled. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350℉, and continue cooking for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 180℉.

7. Let Cornish Hens rest for 15 to 20 minutes before removing stuffing. Using a kitchen shears, cut hens in half along breastbone and backbone.

8. Serve with stuffing and any other sides or salad.

Yields: 4 servings

Notes&Tips:

• Cornish Hens (Cornish game hen, also Rock Cornish game hen) is the USDA approved name for variety of broiler chicken, produced from a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chicken breeds, that is served young and immature, weighing no more than two pounds ready to cook.

• Despite the name, the Cornish game hen is not a game bird and can be either male or female. Bred to develop a large breast over a short period of time, the fowl weighs roughly 2.5 pounds when slaughtered at four to six weeks of age and typically commands a higher price per pound than mature chicken. The Saturday Evening Post credits Alphonsine "Therese" and Jacques Makowsky of Connecticut with developing the small fowl in the mid-1950s. The couple crossbred Cornish game cocks with other varieties of chicken and game bird, including the White Plymouth Rock hen and the Malayan fighting cock, to produce a succulent bird suitable for a single serving. The musician and comedian Victor Borge was an early investor in, and promoter of, the concept, leveraging his personal popularity to transform the dish from an exotic menu item into a common household meal.

• This recipe for Roasted Stuffed Cornish Hens produces a succulent dish that you would want to eat a whole hen instead of just the half portion! It is also filling and if you generally consume small portions regularly, you could have your half of the hen twice.

• This dish could be served on special occasions or just because you want to feel special.

• In addition to serving this dish with the stuffing, I also made roasted potatoes and Brussel sprouts.

• A rice pilaf would also be a great side dish for the Roasted Stuffed Cornish Hens.