Love Birds: A romantic dinner for two
Rosemary Garlic Cornish Game Hens & Roasted Vegetables
I am a enthusiastic home cook. This is a simple, relatively uncomplicated dish with bold comforting flavors.
Prep Time: 20 min/ Total Time: 1 hour 30 min/ Pre-Heat Oven to 450 degrees
Cooking Utensils:
· Sharpened Chef Knife
· Rubber Spatulas
· Pyrex or Metal Baking Pan
· Potato Peeler
· Sauce Pan
· Mixing Bowl
· Large Pot
Ingredients:
· 2 Cornish Game Hens
· 1 Stick of Butter
· 4 Minced Garlic Cloves
· 1/4 Cup Diced White Onions
· 1 Red Onion
· 2 Potatoes
· 2 Carrots
· 1 Sweet Potato
· 8 Brussel Sprouts
· 2 Leeks
· 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
· 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
· 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
· 1 Tbsp. Seasoned Rice Vinegar
· 3Tbsp. Kosher Salt
· 4Tsps. Cracked Black Pepper
· 2Tbsp. Olive Oil
· 2Tbsp. Italian Dressing
· 2 1/2 Fresh Rosemary
Directions:
1. Thaw and Rinse Hens.
2. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Coat inside of each body cavity with 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt and 1/2 Tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper. Place 1/2 Spring Fresh Rosemary inside each cavity.
4. Coat outside of each Hen with 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil. Coat the birds with 1Tbsp. Salt and 1Tsp. Cracked Pepper.
4. Peel Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Carrots. Cut Onion, Potatoes, Sweet Potato, and Carrots into bite sized pieces. Slice the Brussel Sprouts in half.
5. Place the vegetables in mixing bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil and season with Salt & Pepper to taste. Mix ingredients to insure even coating. Pour vegetables into a baking dish or pan.
6. Place Hens centered over the vegetables. Place in the oven and reduce heat to 400 degrees. Cook the Hens for 45 minutes.
7. While Hens are cooking, melt butter in sauce pan. Sautee diced onions and minced garlic until translucent.
8. Add Lemon Juice, Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce. Sautee for 5 minutes. Set aside.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil Leeks for 5 minutes. Remove and cut each stalk from where it turns green to white. The cut is half deep (not all the way through) to the end of the leek. Fan leeks out along the cut.
10. Add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil to sauce pan. Heat oil to high. When smoke rises from the pan, place leeks facedown and press the flesh to ensure an even sear. Cook for a minute. Lift leeks with tongs. You are looking for a dark sear along the ridges. Remove the leeks and plate.
11. Remove Hens after 45 minutes. Spoon 75% of the Garlic, Onion, Rice Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Soy and Worcestershire Sauce mixture over the Hens. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Replace the Hens and cook for 15 minutes.
12. After removing Hens from oven, allow them to rest 5 minutes before plating. Ladle roasted vegetables onto each plate next to a leek. Gently lean a Hen against the vegetables. Tuck a fresh sprig of Rosemary under a wing as garnish.
