Cornish game hens are a small breed of chicken, just big enough for two people to share (or just one if you’re hungry). These are perfect if you are having a small gathering and don’t want to roast a whole turkey but want something more exciting than a standard chicken. This recipe stuffs the birds till bursting with a traditional bread stuffing and roasts veggies along with the hens, which are glazed with apricot jam.
On the Ingredients
- Thyme is member of the mint family which originated in the Levant, where it was first cultivated. The ancient Greeks believed that thyme was a source of courage and bathed with it. The Romans spread it across Europe, burning it for incense and flavoring their cheese and wine. It was common in the Middle Ages to sleep with a sprig of thyme under your pillow to ward off nightmares. It was also custom to gift bunches of thyme to knights or soldiers to give them courage, harkening back to the Greeks. Today, thyme is a popular herb around the world.
- Sage is also a member of the mint family, this one native to the Mediterranean. It has a long culinary and medicinal history. Since ancient times, it’s been used for keeping evil at bay, increasing fertility, treating snake and insect bites, and more. The Romans called sage “the holy herb,” and the Carolingian Empire encouraged all its monasteries to cultivate it. Sage has a savory, mildly peppery flavor that compliments roasted meats and onions. In the US and Britain, it’s often used for turkey stuffing and Sunday roasts. Sage is also common in French, Italian, Balkan, and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
If Cornish Game Hens are not available, you can use this same recipe with 1 chicken. The cooking times may vary (20-25 minutes per pound).
Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
4
servings30
minutes1
hour25
minutes1
hour55
minutesCornish game hens are a small breed of chicken, just big enough for two people to share (or just one if you’re hungry). These are perfect if you are having a small gathering and don’t want to roast a whole turkey but want something more exciting than a standard chicken. This recipe stuffs the birds till bursting with a traditional bread stuffing and roasts veggies along with the hens, which are glazed with apricot jam.
Ingredients
- Stuffing Ingredients
3 cups dry sourdough bread cubes
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion (diced)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste
- Roasted Game Hens & Vegetable ingredients
2 Cornish game hens (thawed)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 lb carrots (chopped 1 inch pieces)
1 lb Brussels sprouts (cut in half)
1/2 cup apricot jam
1 Tbsp water
Directions
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and saute until the onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper, add the thyme and sage and cook another minute.
- Remove from heat, add the bread cubes, mix well, and pour the broth overtop. Mix well and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Wash the hens with warm water and pat dry—season with salt on both the insides and outsides. Divide the stuffing in half and stuff each bird.
- Arrange the carrots and Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Lay the hens on top of the vegetables and place them in the preheated oven. Roast for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the apricot jam and water to make a sauce. After 45 minutes, remove the birds from the oven and brush them thoroughly with half the apricot sauce.
- Place the hens back in the oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Brush the hens with the remaining sauce and bake for another 15 minutes or until the internal temp is 165° F.
- Remove from the oven and let sit ten minutes before serving.
