Roasted Cornish Game Hens

Itty bitty teeny birdies....awwww....

There's nothing more cozy than spending a fall Sunday drinking some vino and roasting a bird. However, I hate the messiness of carving, serving and the mass amount of clean up afterwards. Besides the wishbone, there really isn't much to do with the rest of the bird. Game hens work out perfectly, they look like chicken, taste like chicken, cost the same as chicken and the clean up minimal.

2 Cornish Rock Game Hens (1-2lbs)
4 large carrots
2 whole garlic cloves crushed
1 small lemon quartered
1 small white onion quartered
Canola oil
1 stick of salted butter
1 large sprig of Sage
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut the carrots in half, length wise and line them up on the bottom of a large shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Rinse each bird inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Rub the birds liberally with canola oil until they are well covered. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of each bird with 1 clove of crushed garlic, 2 lemon wedges and 2 pieces of onion. Tie the legs of the bird together with baking twine OR you can use a toothpick to hold the legs together. Place the birds on the carrots, breast-side up. Tuck the wings underneath to avoid burning.

Melt the stick of butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the sage leaves.

Place the birds in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes basting with the sage butter every ten minutes. Bird is done when the juices run clear from the thickest part of the bird.

Serve with the carrots and a side dish of my roasted potatoes!