Roasted Cornish Hens

What no turkey on Thanksgiving!! GASP! Nope, this year try Colavita's recipe for Roasted Cornish Hens. We’ve opted for a smaller bird with Colavita's Recipe for Roasted Cornish Hens. Being smaller, these hens will cook more evenly, which means less risk of all that dry meat. Plus, they take up less room in your fridge!

Just put this innovative Roasted Cornish Hens dish on your traditional Thanksgiving table and you may never go back to turkey again!

Pair Recipe with Roasted Cornish Hens with:
Sweet Pumpkin Soup

Similar Colavita Recipes:
Turkey with Pumpkin Spice Marinade
Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Turkey

 ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 8-10 lemons
 ⅔ cup Colavita Premium Selection Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped – more as garnish
 2 tsp chopped rosemary
 1 tsp Kosher salt
 4 Cornish game hens (about 1pound each), rinsed and pat-dried thoroughly with paper towels
 8 large shallots, quartered

To make the marinade:
1

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano leaves, rosemary and salt in a bowl.

2

Divide the marinade in between two 1-gallon resealable plastic bags. Place two hens in each bag and press to get as much air as possible out of it before sealing. Repeat the same process for the other two hens. Place them in the fridge and let it marinate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

To roast the Cornish hens:
3

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

4

Place the hens and their marinade in a 9”x13” casserole dish or roasting pan. Add water and arrange the shallots around the birds.

5

Sprinkle the hens with freshly ground black pepper.

6

Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

7

Let them rest for 20 minutes, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve.