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Roasted Cornish Hens with Grapes

For a break from roast chicken, try these smaller hens, which cook in about half the time it takes for a chicken. If you like, substitute four bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each) for the Cornish hens.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds mixed red and green seedless grapes
8 shallots, root end intact, halved if large
6 sprigs thyme, plus additional leaves for hens
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
4 Cornish game hens (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 450°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the grapes and shallots with the thyme sprigs, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

    Step 2

    Tie the legs with kitchen twine; nestle the hens among the grapes on the baking sheet, breast side up. Season the hens generously with salt and pepper; sprinkle with thyme leaves.

    Step 3

    Roast, basting the hens occasionally with the pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the leg (avoiding the bone) registers 160°F, 30 to 35 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2007 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine's editors. Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.
TagsGrapeFruitShallotVegetablePoultryCornish HenChickenMainDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeEasy5 Ingredients or FewerRoastRosh HashanahCookbooks
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