I had a taste for Cornish Game Hen when I was at the market the other day so I grabbed one. I don’t eat them very often, mostly because you can’t cook one up in 5 minutes or less. I decided that this recipe would be a perfect first entry in the food category. I like game hens since they aren’t gamey, like a more flavorful chicken, and are small so you can cook up just a small portion. Like chicken, they lend themselves to all sorts of creative recipes. One thing though, if you want a big meal, half a bird won’t fill you up. Game hens don’t have a lot of meat, so if you want to be stuffed either make two or look elsewhere.
This recipe is courtsey of About.com.
Ingredients
2 to 3 Rock Cornish Game Hens
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
1 small garlic clove, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Pepper to taste
8 ounces spaghettiInstructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse hens with cold water. Split hens in half by cutting down backbone and then through breastbone. Place in baking pan. Combine oil and lemon juice and pour over Cornish, coating evenly. Wash Hands.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. Internal temperature should read 180 degrees F. Meanwhile, in blender or food processor combine butter and remaining seasoning ingredients. Blend at high speed until parsley is minced; divide into two equal parts and set aside. During last 15 minutes of baking, brush both sides of Cornish halves with half of herb mixture. At the time Cornish are seasoned, cook spaghetti in boiling water, following directions on package. Drain pasta; toss with remaining herb mixture.
Place cooked pasta on hot serving platter. Arrange Cornish on top and serve immediately.
I had only one bird so I had to modify the recipe slightly. I cut all the quantities in half and that seemed to work pretty well. I chose to use 1/2 a cup of parsley, but I think a little less would have been better. I used dried oregano and basil, but fresh thyme. Next time I’ll get all fresh spices. I also tossed in some white wine with the oil and lemon juice, didn’t seem to do a darn thing, probably needed more. 
All in all a very tasty recipe, I was quite happy with how it came out. I still have half a bird left so I’ll get to eat that tomorrow with some leftover rice. Should be very tasty after it has had a chance to sit and absorb the flavor of the spices.
