Looking for a poultry dish that will absolutely blow your mind? Forget plain roast chicken. This Best Cornish Hen Recipe utilizes an incredible, earthy dried porcini mushroom and elephant garlic marinade that infuses the meat with a deep, savory umami flavor. It’s a complete, gourmet, one-pan meal that is surprisingly easy to make!
We smother these tender game hens in a rich mushroom-herb paste and roast them to perfection over a bed of baby potatoes, tri-color carrots, and red onion. The hens steam inside a tight lid first, ensuring they are incredibly juicy, then finish uncovered for that perfect, golden-brown, crispy skin.
This recipe is a true showstopper for a special dinner, holiday gathering, or even a fancy weekend feast.
Inside This Video:
How to make the unique Porcini Mushroom Rub.
The secret to steaming hens for maximum juiciness.
Getting that restaurant-quality golden skin.
What to do if you need to substitute a regular chicken.
Easy clean-up with a one-pan method.
Ingredients
For the Seasoning/Marinade
1/4 cup Dried Porcini Mushrooms (about 1 small handful)
2 teaspoons Black Peppercorns
1 Elephant Garlic bulb, grated (or 6-8 large standard garlic cloves)
4 tablespoons Mixed fresh herbs (equal parts sage and rosemary)
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Vegetables
1 pound Baby Yellow Gold Potatoes, rinsed
7-8 Large Tri-Color Carrots, rinsed and peeled
1 large Red Onion, peeled and quartered
1 large Lemon, quartered
For the Poultry
4 1/2 pounds Cornish Hens (3 hens, approx 1 1/2 pounds each)
Instructions
1. Make the Marinade
Grind the dried mushrooms and black peppercorns in a nut grinder or spice grinder until they become a fine powder.
Transfer the mushroom-peppercorn powder to a small mixing bowl.
Add the grated garlic, mixed herbs, kosher salt, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix until it combines into a loose paste.
2. Prepare the Vegetables and Sauté Pan
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
In a deep 6-quart sauté pan that has a tight-fitting lid, add the potatoes, carrots, and onions.
Season the vegetables with 1-2 tablespoons of the prepared mushroom marinade, tossing to coat.
Spread the vegetables evenly across the bottom of the pan.
3. Prepare and Nestle the Hens
Add the Cornish hens to the pan, nestling them snugly among the vegetables.
Season the hens thoroughly, all over and inside the cavities, with the remaining marinade.
Add the quartered lemons to the pan.
4. Roast (Covered)
Cover the pan with its tight lid.
Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Check the internal temperature; it should be around 145°F–150°F at this stage.
5. Finish (Uncovered)
Remove the lid from the pan.
Continue roasting, uncovered, for another 10–15 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
6. Rest and Serve
Remove the pan from the oven.
Let the dish rest for at least 10 minutes before carving or serving the whole hens, allowing the juices to redistribute.
1 Comment
Yum!