Herb Roasted Cornish Hens with Root Vegetables
Individual Cornish hens are crusted with fresh herbs, then roasted on a bed of root vegetables and apple for a delicious, pan roasted meal.
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish hens
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon apple cider
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and left whole
- ½ orange cut into wedges
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 parsnips peeled cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 pound (453 grams) yams/sweet potato peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 sweet apple peeled and cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Dry the skin of the Cornish hens.
- Mix the melted butter and apple cider in a bowl. Stir in the rosemary, sage, thyme, salt & pepper to the melted butter and mix well. Brush the butter mix all over the hens, inside and out and under the skin, reserve some of the butter mix for the vegetables. Add a garlic clove and orange wedges to each of the hen cavities. Tie the legs together.
- Add the carrots, parsnips, yams and apple to a bowl. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter and mix well so they are all coated.
- Spread an even layer of the vegetables in a 12-inch (31 cm) cast iron skillet or roasting dish.
- Set the hens on top of the vegetables and add and garlic around the hens and vegetables. Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour and a meat thermometer measures 165°F/75°C when inserted into the thickest part of the leg.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 892kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 382mg | Sodium: 1227mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g