Cornish Hens with Fiery Cilantro-Mint Sauce
Gallinitas con Salsa de Cilantro-YerbabuenaCornish hens, split, seasoned, and roasted are excellent served with a blended sauce of pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and mint. In this recipe, half a hen makes a single serving. For big appetites, split and roast four hens instead of two and double the rest of the ingredients. The sauce is best served shortly after it's made.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 2 Cornish game hens about 1¼ pounds each cut in half, rinsed, excess fat removed from cavities and patted dry
- 2 medium garlic cloves pressed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fiery Cilantro-Mint Sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the hens and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place skin side up on a work surface.
- In a small bowl, mix the garlic, salt, oregano, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste.
- Rub the mixture all over the hens.
- Let stand about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the hens, skin side up, on the baking sheet.
- Roast in the middle of the oven 35 minutes, or until the skin is lightly browned and juices run clear when thigh is pierced at the thickest point.
- Prepare the sauce while the hens are roasting.
- Serve each hen with an equal portion of the sauce.