Roast Cornish Hens With Rosemary, Potatoes, Lemons & Wine
"This is the best and easiest chicken dish in Italy or anywhere. If you really wish to impress your guests at a dinner party, serve this dish. Even if you can't boil water, you will be able to make this classic, since everything is simply tossed with olive oil, placed in a pan, and roasted. The potatoes are suffused with oil and fresh rosemary, the chicken is crisp and juicy, and the sauce in the pan is perfect for a last crust of bread. From 'Rome, at Home' by Suzanne Dunaway."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 (3 lb) roasting chickens or 2 Cornish hens
- 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 2 lbs waxy potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch slices (or diced)
- 5 -6 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves only
- 1 cup white wine
directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the chicken or game hens liberally with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper inside and out. Sprinkle with paprika.
- Place the lemon quarters in the cavity, giving each (lemon) a little squeeze to release the oil from the skins.
- Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and toss them with the rest of the olive oil and the rosemary leaves. Spread them around the chicken in a large baking pan.
- Fold a piece of aluminum foil double into a rectangle about the size of the chicken. Grease it down the middle, making a little tent, and lay the foil loosely over the breast.
- Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, basting 2 to 3 times with the fat in the pan.
- Add the wine (it will quickly evaporate in the hot oven, leaving a lovely flavor in the potatoes), remove the foil, and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes.
- If the breast is not browned enough, turn on the broiler for a few seconds to crisp the skin, but watch carefully so as not to burn your masterpiece.
- Carve the large chicken or split the game hens and serve with the potatoes and the pan juices poured over the chicken.
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Reviews
-
Wow! This recipe is amazing! I made this last night, & it was a huge hit. Everyone kept saying that it was the best recipe for Cornish game hens they've ever had. I am at high altitude so I did have to cook the chicken & potatoes for an extra 20 minutes, but other than that the recipe was perfect. Thanks so much!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>Married to my sweetheart for almost forty years and we have two wonderful children who are grown and have flown the coop. Also, we have been blessed with a wonderful son-in-law and beautiful daughter-in-law, plus FIVE grandchildren: two beautiful granddaughters ages five and eight, and three sweet adorable little grandsons ages 2 months, 2 years and 3 years. My husband and I share a combination of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Dutch, Swiss, Polish, Austrian, German and French heritage, and our son-in-law and daughter-in-law are both Hispanic. We've traveled extensively to many countries abroad (we lived in Germany), and have traveled and lived in several states here in the U.S.A. Many of the recipes I post here are influenced by our combined heritage or from our travels, or they are old family favorites that I want to share with you. I hope you enjoy! Have been to culinary school with many years of cooking (mostly for my family) under my belt, so know my way around a kitchen. And I'm very lucky to have the best sous chef in the world, dddddh! One of my favorite chefs of all time is Jacques Pepin! I have several of his cookbooks, and enjoy watching his television cooking show Fast Food My Way. Another top favorite is Julia Child (of course!). A few other chefs I read/enjoy watching on t.v. are: Giada At Home, Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa, Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites, and Patti's Mexican Kitchen, and many more. On my bucket list is dining at Thomas Keller's establishment The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California... as well as Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and the James Beard award winning Tartine Bakery and Cafe in San Francisco. One day!! Hobbies/Interests: Decorating with fresh flowers and herbs from the garden is my passion, and brings me deep joy! It's really hard to beat!! I love connecting with others who enjoy the same. Gardening, decorating, sewing, music, dancing, film, and reading are also up there. Spending quality time with my grandchildren, family, and friends (and cooking holiday meals!). Currently, a newfound passion has been so richly rewarding for me: genealogical research. I heart ancestry dot com. And last but certainly not least, I absolutely LOVE cats--we have two half-Siamese fur babies (cats) that allow us to live here!! A Note of Thanks~ I try to personally thank everyone who kindly makes and reviews my recipes, but sometimes I am busy, late, or may forget. Please know that I am always humbled that you would try one of my recipes, and I enjoy reading the reviews and seeing all the pretty photographs. Thanks so much! </p>
