Martha Stewart’s Cornish Hens with Lemon and Herbs

Posted bymanageablemarthaPosted inUncategorized

Manageability – Fancy and easy.

England isn’t exactly known for the most flavorful of dishes. I once had some chicken wings in London that were so bland they tucked me into bed and rocked me to sleep. How do you mess those up? But these Cornish Hens with Lemon and Herbs from Martha Stewart were anything but lacking in flavor, and they were easy.

Pretty easy indeed. Just prep and bake, but the “prep” part was a little gross. I did not like running my fingers under the dead hen’s skin, nor did I enjoy shoving a lemon up his butt. But after that, no big deal. The meat was moist and herb-y, and the citrus of the lemon compliments the spices perfectly. Also, baking makes the skin golden and crispy, and that’s my favorite part. These are perfect for a dinner party, where everybody gets their own hen. You’ll be a real fancy host. You know, after you shoved a lemon up all their butts.

England doesn’t get all their food right, but these are a great way to enjoy a classic British bird. Stupid red coats.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cornish hens (about 1 3/4 pounds each), room temperature, rinsed well and patted dry
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme (about 1/2 ounce), plus more for garnish
  • 2 lemons, halved, plus wedges for serving
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 English thing, like cider or a sticky wicket

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen (haha, “cavity”).
  2. Loosen skin from breast, and place remaining thyme and the parsley underneath. Squeeze remaining lemon halves over hens. Rub butter all over hens. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast hens, rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with lemon wedges.
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4 thoughts on “Martha Stewart’s Cornish Hens with Lemon and Herbs”

  1. Ironic we were thinking of doing this for thanksgiving as its just going to be us this year. Great idea. Paired with your crispy potatoes would be amazing. Do you have an aloe that would work?

  2. I could definitely make these! I haven’t had cornish hens in a very long time and now I’m wanting them! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Love your sense of humor too!

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