Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Poultry
- 2 cornish game hens, thawed, giblets removed
Aromatic Paste
- 4 garlic, peeled
- 20 g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 15 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 g ground allspice
- 45 ml olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 g kosher salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 715 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 53 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 1157 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 27 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Cholesterol
- 303 mg
- Potassium
- 786 mg
- Calcium
- 55 mg
- Iron
- 2.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 62 mg
- Phosphorus
- 431 mg
- Zinc
- 3.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 112 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 77 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.52 mg
- Niacin
- 17.2 mg
- Folate
- 17 mcg
- Water
- 217 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and set a roasting rack inside.
In a food processor, combine the garlic, fresh ginger, parsley, ground allspice, olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper. Blend until a thick, vibrant, slightly coarse paste forms.
Remove the hens from their packaging. To ensure crispy skin, thoroughly dry the interior and exterior of both birds using paper towels. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry to avoid cross-contamination.
Gently slide your fingers under the skin of the breasts to separate it from the meat. Rub the aromatic paste evenly under the skin, inside the cavities, and all over the exterior of the hens.
Tie the legs of each hen together using kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips neatly under the body to prevent burning. Place them breast-side up on the prepared roasting rack.
Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the skin is deeply golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C (165°F).
Remove the hens from the oven. Transfer them to a cutting board and allow them to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Chef's Notes
- Placing the aromatic paste directly under the skin protects the fresh herbs from burning in the high-heat oven while directly flavoring the breast meat.
- If you have the time, rub the hens with the paste the night before and leave them uncovered in the refrigerator. This dry-brining method produces exceptionally crispy skin.
- Spatchcocking (removing the backbone and flattening the bird) is a highly recommended alternative technique that reduces roasting time to about 30 minutes and ensures perfectly even cooking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze meat removed from the bone for best results.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C (350°F) oven until warmed through, or gently microwave.
Troubleshooting
Skin is pale and rubbery rather than crisp
Cause: Hens were too wet before roasting, or oven was not fully preheated
Fix: Turn on the broiler for the final 2 to 3 minutes of cooking, watching very closely to prevent burning
Prevention: Dry the surface of the meat meticulously with paper towels before applying the paste
Breast meat is dry while thighs are undercooked
Cause: Uneven cooking typical in whole roasted poultry
Fix: Cannot be fixed once overcooked. Carve and serve the breast meat with pan drippings to add moisture
Prevention: Allow hens to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before roasting, or consider spatchcocking
Cultural Context
The Cornish game hen is a distinctly American poultry development, bred in the 1950s in Connecticut to create a fast-growing, single-serving bird. By pairing this American classic with a paste utilizing ginger, garlic, and allspice, the dish borrows flavor profiles commonly associated with Caribbean marinades, offering an aromatic, warming complexity.
