Game Hens with Spiced Yogurt and Sweet Onion-Roasted Potatoes
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes1
hour10
minutesThis is a wonderful recipe and the flavors are so good. It really is a complete meal just add a big green salad or serve with a green veggie. YOU MUST MARINATE THE GAME HENS AHEAD OF TIME, AT LEAST 16 HOURS OR UP TO 2 DAYS. We did this recipe on a spit on our grill, we loaded the game hens on and put a pan under with the onions and potatoes and just let it cook and it took about an hour and a half. Everything came out perfectly and the onions and potatoes caramelized with all the succulent flavors dripping on them from the hens.
Marinating Hens
1/2 cup greek whole yogurt
1/4 cup coconut aminos, bought off Amazon
9 lg garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
3 inch knob of fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped
3 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 juicy lemons, whole
3 Cornish game hens
- For the dish:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lg yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 lb tiny potatoes, 1 to 2 inches in diameter-halved or quartered if larger
Directions
- Combine yogurt, coconut aminos, garlic, peppercorns, turmeric, ginger, in a blender. Use a microplane to grate the zest of both lemons, then halve one and squeeze the juice. Reserve remaining lemon for squeezing on the birds before placing in the oven. Blend on high speed until smooth about 1 minutes.
- Rinse hens under cold water inside and out and pat dry very well. Put them in a large bowl or pan and spoon 1/3 of the yogurt mixture into the cavities of the birds. Pour the rest of the marinade all over the birds and throughly coat birds in yogurt mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 16 hours or up to 2 days.
- About 30 minutes before making the dish, remove hens from the refrigerator. Heat oil in a lg skillet over medium heat until glossy. Add the onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir well, cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften and release liquid, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the onions are creamy and have turned a deep golden brown, and taste very sweet, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450. Spread the potatoes on a lg rimmed sheet pan lined with foil or parchment. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Add the cooked onions, and stir well. Make a bed for the hens and place them on the pan spaced apart.
- Remove hens from marinade and place on pan. Do not scrape off any marinade. Roast until hens are golden brown with some dark patches. They are ready when a digital thermometer is pieced into the thickest part of the breast and registers, 150. They should take about 40-45 minutes.
