Take-out Tuesday, Cornish Hens with Fresh Oranges and Rosemary Salt

the Painted Apron

5 years ago

My family loves Cornish hens, they are so easy to make,

and everyone gets their own whole little chicken to enjoy

You can roast them on the oven or cook them outside on your grill

One of my favorite ways to prepare them is

topped with fresh orange slices and Rosemary Salt

Rosemary Salt is incredibly easy to make,

fresh rosemary combined with Kosher salt and coarse sea salt

But you can also just use fresh rosemary and any coarse sea salt you have

You can stuff them with your favorite stuffing like

Mom’s Stuffing

or you can cook them without stuffing

My mom always used Pepperidge Farm stuffing for Thanksgiving,

the one in the blue bag,

which still looks the same as it did many years ago

She would add chopped onion, celery, and pecan halves

I make the stuffing according to package directions,

using chicken broth for the liquid,

real butter, and adding the celery, onion and pecans

You can saute the vegetables first,

but they will cook through in the birds if you want to save a step

Check the insides of the hens

{some brands have a giblet package inside that you will want to remove}

rinse the hens inside and out and pat dry

Stuff the hens with the prepared stuffing

and put remaining dressing {if you have extra} in a covered casserole

to bake along with the hens or save for another meal.

Remember for safety, always stuff the birds right before cooking

and remove all the stuffing after baking to prevent contamination

Next drizzle the hens with olive oil

and sprinkle them generously with Rosemary salt

and cover them with fresh orange slices

Add a little orange juice to the pan, about 1/2 cup,

for added moisture and to baste the hens throughout the baking process

Remove the oranges after 45-60 minutes*

so the hens can brown during the last few minutes

*Cooking time will depend on the size of the birds and

your oven or grill,

use a meat thermometer to check for doneness

Save oranges to garnish the hens when serving

CORNISH HENS with Orange and Rosemary Salt

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cornish hens, Cornish hens with Orange and Rosemary, orange chicken, Rosemary salt

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Ingredients

1 Cornish hen per person
stuffing of choice {if desired}
fresh orange slices 5 or 6 per hen
orange juice
rosemary salt*

Instructions

Wash hens thoroughly inside and out and pat dry.
Stuff hens if desired.
Place in a foil lined baking dish, and add orange juice to the bottom of pan to the depth of 1/4 inch. This will help keep the birds moist.
Drizzle hens with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary salt and pepper. You can also use Kosher salt and fresh rosemary. Top hens with orange slices.
Bake at 400 for about 1 1/4 hours or until hens are cooked through, basting every 20 minutes or so. Remove orange slices about half way through cooking time so hens can brown.