Stuffed Cornish Hens

My cute little Cornish hens came out to be delicious this Thanksgiving. It was very juicy, even the breast part. It was a lot easier to make than I would expect. And, I like the portion size. The stuffing was sweet and tasty. Although Bryan and my sister thought the stuffing was too sweet, I like the sweetness with the savory hens. These hens are perfect for any dinner party. They are great for presentation, and I am sure your guests would be impressed. They don’t have to wait until next Thanksgiving for sure!

Stuffed Cornish Hens (Adapted from Ina Garten)

2 servings

Ingredients:

–   2 Cornish hens

–   1 large Spanish onion (sliced)

–   olive oil

–   salt

–   ground black pepper

Cornbread stuffing:

–   2 ½ cups cornbread (broke into pieces)

–   1 cup yellow onion (diced)

–   1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock

–   4 tablespoons unsalted butter

–   2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (chopped)

–   salt

–   ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2. To make the cornbread stuffing, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. In a large bowl, combine cornbread pieces, onion mixture, chicken stock, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a roasting pan or half sheet pan, place the sliced onion in the bottom.
4. With the hens, remove the giblets and rinse the hens inside and out. Cut off any excess fat and leftover feathers. Pat the hens dry with paper towel. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
5. Fill the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
6. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper generously.
7. Roast the hens for 50 – 55 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
8. Take the hens out and cover with aluminum foil. Let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Tips:

1. The original recipe has 1 diced celery stalk in the stuffing. My sister doesn’t like celery, so I left it out. You can definitely put the celery back in.
2. The hens’ internal temperature when cooked should be around 165˚F.

Source: Read