Cornish Hens and Papas Bravas

What's better than a delicious roast meal? How about one that takes about 40 minutes to make. Even better, you don't have to share. Cornish hens are perfectly proportioned for individual serving. They are small so they roast in about 35 minutes, and the meat is succulent and tender. They are like extra concentrated chickens. In the summer, they are great on the grill, but it's a little cold now, so these bad boys were roasted. I served them with roasted potatoes and brava sauce. Brava sauce, from Papas Bravas (which is potatoes brava style) is a Spanish favorite of mine. Brava sauce, or salsa Brava is a spicy-tomatoey mayonnaise, that is usually served on crispy roast or fried potatoes. My sauce is probably not the most authentic (I used Sriracha), but it was delicious and definitely got the flavor right. This delicious dinner is perfect any night of the week, a perfect dinner for 2.



Lemon Sherry Cornish Hens:
2 Cornish hens, approximately 1 1/2 pound each
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 lemons
2 tsp of pepper
2 tsp of salt
Small handful of fresh thyme
1/2 cup of sherry wine
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove giblets if there are any, wash the hens inside and out and pat dry. Rub each hen with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Salt and pepper the hens inside and out (about 1 tsp of each, for each hen). Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on each hen and put lemon half inside the neck cavity. Put a few sprigs of thyme inside the cavities as well. Put hens in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Pour the sherry over the hens and roast an additional 10 minutes. Pour the stock over the hens and roast and additional 10-15 minutes, until the hens are golden on the outside and the meat is cooked to 180 degrees. Serve the hens whole, with pan drippings as gravy if desired.

Roast Potatoes and Brava Sauce:
5-6 medium golden potatoes
1 Large yellow onion
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt, Pepper
For Sauce:
1/4 Mayonnaise
1 heaping tbsp of tomato paste
1 tsp of Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the potatoes into roughly 1 inch chunks. Cut the onion into similar size. Toss the potatoes and onions with olive oil in a small roasting dish. Lightly Salt and Pepper. Roast until golden and crisp on the outside and fork tender on the inside, about 20 minutes. Stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, adjusting seasoning to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve potatoes drizzled with sauce, or serve sauce on the side for dipping.

Happy Eating