Pioneer Woman's Cornish Game Hen Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 F for a convection oven or 425 F for a standard oven.

Step 2

Zest two of the lemons and remove and chop the leaves from one sprig of rosemary.

Step 3

In a bowl, stir the butter with the lemon zest, chopped rosemary, and the salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4

Place the hen on a baking sheet lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil with the breastside facing up.

Step 5

Smear the butter mixture all over the hen, under the skin, and inside the cavity with your fingers.

Step 6

Cut all the lemons in half. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the hen.

Step 7

Place the lemon halves in the cavity of the bird if they will fit along with the remaining three springs of rosemary.

Step 8

Roast the hen in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Step 9

Make sure the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear.

Step 10

Serve and enjoy.