Monday, July 31, 2006

Cornish Hens with Herb Butter

We went shopping at BJ's yesterday. I know, the name sounds like a bad joke, but it's our version of Sam's Club/Costco. One thing they tend to have is fresh Cornish Hens, which we picked up in addition to things like fruit snacks, toilet paper, and _Nanny McPhee_.

This is what we did with them tonight - it's a variation on a very generic theme, taking advantage of whatever herbs/seasonings you have in the fridge or in the garden. Me, I have a black thumb, you know whatever I'm using came from the store.

2 Cornish Hens
4 T butter (I used goat butter tonight, because I had some - wow, that was nice) OR olive oil
Handful of dill, chopped, or parsley, or oregano, or mint, or rosemary, really whatever strikes your fancy here. I've used them all, they're all nice. You can even go dried, but fresh is nicest.
Fresh-ground pepper
1 lemon OR 1 lime
If you like heat, add 1 seeded jalapeno, chopped, or some paprika

  1. Preheat oven to 450°
  2. Split hens lengthwise, removing breastbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears
  3. Arrange hens in a baking dish, not too shallow (probably not a rimmed baking sheet)
  4. Use a zester to get the zest from the citrus. I love the Oxo one. Then, chop the zest up.
  5. Juice the fruit. If you don't have a wooden reamer, get one. They are hands-down the best way to juice a citrus fruit. And I just like the fact that I own a reamer. Cue Beavis & Butthead laugh.
  6. In a small dish, combine the herbs, butter (if you are using butter), pepper, zest and juice. Mash it up as well as you can.
  7. If you decided to use olive oil, drizzle some on the hens
  8. Smear the mixture over the hens, then pour whatever wasn't incorporated over.
  9. Put the hens in the oven on the top rack, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the juices are basically boiling under the skin. You probably want to turn the pan around a few times to account for uneven oven temps.
We usually have this with a salad and some nice bread. The bread is used to mop up all the gorgeous crusty bits in the pan. This is not a first-date dish, it is messy and decadent and greasy and GOOOOOOOD.

I now resolve to go running in the morning. Believe me, I need to.

2 comments:

Jen said...

I haven't been running all summer, because it is just SO HOT. I will run in nearly any temperature in the winter, but I do not do well with the heat.

But we love cornish hens, and I will try this.

One time, I had some oranges, so I cut them in half, rubbed them all over the outside of the hens and then shoved the halves into the cavity. Boy, those were good too!

art2mis said...

I didn't manage to get out of bed to run yesterday, but I will this morning, insomnia or no. Ms. H will be waiting, and I hate to disappoint. The only way we beat the heat here in NC is by running at 6:00 am.

So...you didn't cut the hens in half, just the oranges? That would be good...I've done it with a lemon, but never an orange. Ooh, I would imagine some coriander and ground fennel would go fabulously as a seasoning. I'll have to try that next time.