Roasted Cornish Hen

Last Sunday, I found two little, cute birds(Cornish hens) at a store and don't what to leave them like that so I bought them home. I gave them a bath, applied makeup with masala. Then they entered into oven and came back and gave photo stills to my camera.

In the United States, a Cornish game hen, also sometimes called a Cornish hen, Rock Cornish hen, or simply Rock Cornish, is a hybrid chicken sold whole. Despite the name, it is not a game bird. Rather, it is a broiler chicken, the most common strain of commercially raised meat chickens. Though the bird is called a "hen", it can be either male or female.

Yield: 2-3 persons
Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 min

Ingredients:

• 2 Cornish hens, about 1 1/2 pounds each(approximately 680 gm)
• 1 big or 2 small Potatoes
• 1/2 Capsicum
• 1 Onion
• 6 Baby Carrots (I don't have)

For Masala:

• Oil 1/4 cup
• 2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1/2 cup Curd
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean the hens, remove any unwanted parts and pat dry it with paper towel.
• Make slits to the hen with knife and keep aside.
• Mix all the ingredients under masala and rub the masala to the hens inside and outside and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hr.(If u have time keep over night)

• Cut all the veggies lengthwise and keep aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degree F. (185 C)
• Take a pan and roast the hens until they turn brown on both sides on a stove top.(If u want, u can completely cook the hen on stove top on low heat)

• Mean while mix the veggies with the remaining masala.(After u take the hens, their will be some marinated  masala)

• Lightly grease an oven proof metal or a glass dish to bake the Hen.
• Place the Vegetables at the bottom and gently place the Hen on top.

• Cover with  a foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes and remove the foil( If the chicken look dry after removing the foil, pour that liquid that oozed out from the chicken on top of the chicken ) and cook another 30 min or until done.(Check in between.

TIP: 

• Place a foil in the pan for easy cleaning. 
• Instead of cooking on stove top to get the color broil the chicken on ‘high broil’ for 3-5 minutes till it gets a little color. Keep an eye on it.

• To test the chicken, whether it thoroughly cooked and ready to eat, insert a fork in the chicken. It should go in with ease and the juices should run clear. However, the meat and juices nearest the bones might still be a little pink even though the chicken is cooked thoroughly.