For a hearty meal enhanced with olive oil, a bed of fingerling potatoes and sautéed mushrooms showcases these Roasted Cornish Hens, cooked to a succulent finish.
Roasted Cornish Hens
Makes 3
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 3 Cornish hens
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (recipe follows)
- Sautéed Mushrooms (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. (It is imperative that oven is fully preheated prior to cooking hens.)
- In a large bowl, combine olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic. Place hens in bowl, and coat thoroughly with olive oil mixture.
- Transfer hens and olive oil mixture to a large roasting pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°, and baste hens with olive oil mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn hens over; bake for 15 minutes. Baste in olive oil mixture. Increase temperature to broil; broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Turn hens, and broil 5 minutes more. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 180°. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly. Serve with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Sautéed Mushrooms. Garnish with rosemary, if desired.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Makes approximately 3½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 (24-ounce) bag fingerling potatoes, quartered
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a large roasting pan, combine potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Using a large spoon, coat potatoes evenly in olive oil mixture.
- Roast for 20 minutes; stir, and roast 25 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.
Sautéed Mushrooms
Makes approximately 1 cup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 (8-ounce) packages fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. When garlic is browned, add mushrooms, sage, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
For more delectable olive oil–infused recipes, see “A Golden Touch of Olive Oil” on page 85 of the October 2017 issue of Victoria.
