Cornish Hens, Potatoes and Carrots Oven Dinner; lucky cows

And lemon….

Remember, last post, Chicken with Lemon & Capers, I said I was doing Lemon Week.

I took the smallest lemon, cut it in half and stuffed it into 2 little hens.

In the US it would be a Cornish Game Hen, which is a cross between 2 breeds and normally weighs between 1 and 2 lbs, but usually about 1 1/4 (600gr)

We have poussin, which is, basically. a little chicken, weighing just over 1 lb (450 – 550gr)

They used to be a prefect single serving size for us but we are eating less these days so there is usually enough left for a lunch for mon mari the next day – which always makes him happy.

Click here to Pin Cornish Hens, Potatoes and Carrots Oven Dinner

Cornish Hens, Potatoes and Carrots Oven Dinner

Print Recipe

Give the hens a head start while you prep the vegetables for this easy oven dinner.

• Author: Katie Zeller
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Chicken
• Method: Roasting

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 Cornish game hens or poussin, about 1lb (500gr) each
• 1 lemon, washed, cut in half, seeds removed
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 carrots, cut in thirds the long way, then halved or quartered lengthwise
• 2 ribs celery, cut in thirds the long way, then halved or quartered lengthwise
• 2 potatoes, cut into 8 wedges
• 4 small shallots or 2 large, cut in half, leaving cloves whole if possible

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Put a lemon half in each hen, then tie the legs together
• Put hens, breast side down, in a lightly oiled (or non-stick) baking dish large enough to hold everything.
• Put hens into 400F (200C) oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
• While hens bake prepare the vegetables.
• In a large bowl combine olive oil, lemon pepper, and paprika.
• Add all vegetables and stir well to coat.
• When ready remove hens from oven and turn breast side up.
• Put vegetables around hens. 
• Pour remaining oil and seasonings over hens.
• Return to oven and roast another 40 minutes.
• Stir vegetables half way through.
• Remove and serve, pan juices on the side if you like.

Notes

I used a 9 X 13 pan (22.5 X 32.5) and the vegetables were a bit crowded but it wasn’t a problem. they were nicely roasted.

Last fall, after we came back from our family reunion in Morocco, we noticed that there were no more cows in the field by our house.

This is what the field and barn used to look like…. Last year.

The cows always stayed in the pasture until the 1st of December, when it started to get muddy. Then they were put into that barn until March or April, when the field dried up enough for them to be outside again.

This is what it looks like now.

I may have mentioned that we have had a lot of very high wind and rain this year.

Just as well there were no cows in the barn…..