Lemon and Garlic Roasted Cornish Game Hen

This year, I am hosting my first Thanksgiving. Not only is it the first on that I am hosting, it is the first one that I will have that will be 100% gluten free. It will also have to be heart-healthy, due to the health issues of another guest who will be attending. As a result of these constraints, most of the traditional dishes that I know how to make have gone out the window.

I have been testing dishes out for weeks, trying to come up with the best possible options. It has been fun, and I have had some success and some failures.

This recipe was a test run for a turkey. I wanted to test the flavors, and although it tasted great, it was not the right way to prepare my Thanksgiving turkey. It's okay though, I have another idea in mind.


2 Cornish Game Hens
1/2 stick butter
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 lemon, halved and quartered
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Prepare hen, but removing the innards (packaged, and stored in the cavity) and rinsing. Pat dry. Combine butter and lemon zest in a small saucepan, warming over low heat, until butter is melted. Brush into hen. Stuff lemon and garlic into cavity. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in oven for 25 min, then lower heat to 375, cooking for another 30 minutes, basting every 10.

When hen is done the internal temperature should be about 170 degrees, temperature taken from the thigh area. Juices should be clear, and meat should not be pink in color.