Sriracha Cornish Game Hens with Honey Glazed Rainbow Carrots
The other night my husband asked me if it was alright to invite a couple of friends over for dinner. “Of course!” I exclaimed, without taking stock of the fridge. Once I did take a peek at fridge however, panic set in. We didn’t have much of anything, and the dinner party was tomorrow. I wanted to make something impressive, something people would talk about afterwards, but also something that didn’t require cooking the entire day. I headed out to our nearest grocery store and perused the meat selection. I discovered the cutest little pair of frozen Cornish game hens, and noticed the price- the two pack was about $7. I swear to you, dear readers, frozen Cornish game hens are a best kept secret. They look luxurious, taste amazing, make your guests feel spoiled, and they don’t break the bank! So a snatched up four little hens, and made my way over to the veggie section in search of a side dish. I noticed some adorable little rainbow carrots that had already been peeled and cleaned to the satisfaction standards of Peter Rabbit. “Shut up and take my money!” I squeaked. The kid stocking apples laughed at my outburst. I regained my composure, and after a quick detour to the cheese section to grab an assortment of cheeses and crackers for our guests to snack on, I was on my way home. I didn’t bother worrying about dessert, as I knew the couple I was cooking for isn’t fond of sweets, so I planned to pour them a nice Scotch for dessert (way better than chocolate sometimes). On my drive home I felt serene, knowing I had everything for a tasty dinner tomorrow in my possession.
Ingredients:
Cornish game hens (1 per person, I used 4)
Rainbow carrots (2 lbs)
Onion 1
Olive oil
Sriracha
Tony Cachere’s seasoning
Honey
Tools:
Baking trays
Performance:
The next morning I set the hens out to defrost and went about my day. By the evening the hens were defrosted, and I rubbed them inside and out with Sriracha, sprinkled them with Tony Cachere’s seasoning, and placed a quarter of an onion inside each one (garlic would have been great here too). For the rainbow carrots I simply rubbed them in olive oil and sprinkled Tony Cachere’s seasoning over them. I placed the hens in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, then slid the carrots in along with the birds. The total cooking time for the 4 hens was about 45 minutes, but it could take longer depending on your oven, the size of each bird, etc. Bottom line: just cook the hens until the meat thermometer registers 165 degrees fahrenheit, and the carrots look roasted and crispy at the ends. Once the carrots come out of the oven, drizzle them with honey and toss until evenly distributed.
