Grilled Cornish hen with smoky Spanish marinade
6
Points®
Total time: 8 hr 45 min • Prep: 25 min • Cook: 20 min • Serves: 2 • Difficulty: Easy
Cornish hens are seasoned with a zesty rub of olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon and a host of spices to produce a perfectly juicy and flavorful main dish. A nice change of pace from the typical chicken, cornish hens are great for entertaining. Removing the backbone of a bird and pressing down on the breastbone so it lies fairly flat is known as spatchcocking or butterflying. This technique allows the breast meat and leg meat to cook at about the same rate and reduces overall cooking time by close to half.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 spray(s)
Uncooked skinless Cornish hen
0.667 pound(s)
Fresh lemon juice
1.5 Tbsp
Olive oil
1.5 tsp
Granulated garlic
1.5 tsp
Paprika
1 tsp
Dried oregano
1 tsp
Ground cumin
1 tsp
Ground allspice
1 pinch(es)
Kosher salt
0.75 tsp
Black pepper
0.125 tsp
Lemon
1 item(s), medium
Instructions
1
Remove skin from hen. Use poultry shears to cut down either side of backbone to remove it. Cut off wing tips. On cutting board, place hen, breast side up. Place your palm over hen breast and press down firmly until you hear breastbone crack; this will help hen lie flat on grill.
2
In small cup, combine lemon juice, oil, granulated garlic, paprika, oregano, cumin, allspice, salt, and black pepper. Rub mixture all over hen. Place hen on plate, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
3
Prepare outdoor grill for medium-high heat, or spray ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and place over medium-high heat. On grill rack or grill pan, place hen, breast side up. Cover grill, or if using grill pan, cover pan loosely with foil. Cook 10 minutes. Brush hen with any remaining marinade on plate, then flip hen and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes more. Split hen in half down backbone and serve with lemon wedges.
4
Serving size: 1⁄2 hen
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