Roasted Cornish Hens over French Breads with a Rich Creamy Top

Name: Roasted Cornish Hens over French Breads with a Rich Creamy Top
Total time: 5400 s
Yield: 3-6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 Cornish hens; 2 Tbsp kosher salt; 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, herb de provence; 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper; 4 Tbsp olive oil; 3 sprigs rosemary; 3 bay leaves; 3 large spigs thyme; 1 lemon; 1 baguette, sliced 1 inch thick; 3 Tbsp butter; 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream; 1 lemon; 1 shallot, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp chile flakes, or Aleppo pepper; 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp parsley, minced

Lance Wilson @lance_wilson

Nyack, NY

Some have called this "million dollar chicken", but I don't like that moniker. Cornish hens are roasted over top of sliced baguette in a Dutch oven to catch all the juices, turning the bread into a sort of dressing. The creamy topping and sauce to the chicken is tart and rich and provides a wonderful contrast. 1 Cornish hen per person if hungry or 1/2 a hen per person.

Lance Wilson @lance_wilson

Saved

Ingredients

1 hr 30 min

3-6 servings

3Cornish hens
2 Tbspkosher salt
1 TbspItalian seasoning, herb de provence
1/2 Tbspground black pepper
4 Tbspolive oil
3 sprigsrosemary
3bay leaves
3large spigs thyme
1lemon
1baguette, sliced 1 inch thick
3 Tbspbutter
Cream Topping
1 cupGreek yogurt or sour cream
1lemon
1shallot, finely diced
2 clovesgarlic, minced
2 tspchile flakes, or Aleppo pepper
1 tspItalian seasoning
1 tspsalt
1/2 tspblack pepper
1 tspparsley, minced

Saved

Steps

1 hr 30 min

1

Preheat oven 450F
2

Prep the hens by removing their giblets if they have them. Pat them dry.
3

Mix the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
4

Season the hens inside and out with the seasoning mix.
5

Prepare the fresh herbs into 3 piles. Slice the ends of the lemon off, and then slice into thirds. Lay them on top of the pile to create little "packets" to stuff into the hens.
6

Stuff 1 packet of herbs and lemon into each hen.
7

Pour the olive oil into a large Dutch oven to cover the bottom.
8

Arrange the baguette slices into a single layer in the Dutch oven. You can squish them to make them fit.
9

Place the hens on top of the bread, and then top each hen with a pat of butter.
10

Roast in the oven uncovered for 50 minutes. When you remove the Dutch oven, tilt the pan to pour the accumulated juices inside the hens onto the bread. Add up to 1 cup of water to the bread if dry to prevent scorching.
11

While the hens are roasting, prepare the cream sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl
12

Place a large spoonful of the sauce on top of each hen and use the spoon to spread it around. Reserve the extra sauce for serving.
13

Roast for another 10 minutes uncovered.
14

Remove the hens from the oven and cover for up to 30 minutes while sides are prepared. The steam will help soften the bread.
15

Garnish with extra parsley and serve.