roasted cornish game hen with mashed potatoes

serves 4.

the night before i head off to college, my parents always let me choose what we're going to eat for my last meal in california, whether it's going to the local mexican restaurant or eating sushi at our favorite japanese place. this time, after spending last thanksgiving away from my family, i decided that i wanted to have a thanksgiving-style dinner that would make up for the feast i would miss while i'm away at school. not only that, i wanted to make it myself. i enlisted my brother to be my assistant, and in lieu of the traditional turkey, we settled for small cornish game hens. my mum always talked about them when i mentioned having a turkey dinner, but didn't desire all the leftovers that remained after carving a hulkin' bird. i also didn't realize how cute they were. bundled up in plastic wrappings, i stared at them in awe on my kitchen counter. they can be around $2.00 per lb. so i was super thrilled because i knew that i would be making these for the mere fraction of the price versus going to eat a thanksgiving-style turkey dinner.

well, later that night, when i wiped the sweat from my brow and laid out steaming dishes of my thanksgiving favorites, i tasted a little bite of the meat to test the flavoring and my eyes almost rolled to the back of my head. it was that good. i knew i just couldn't keep this recipe a secret. so, here it goes!

ingredients!!!
2 cornish game hens
4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of sherry
- for the spice rub -
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

to start, preheat your oven to 470 F

cut the cornish hens from its wrappings and pat the skin dry with a paper towel. with a cleaver or other meat-preparing knife of your choice, cut slengthwise down the center of the chicken. if not already gutted, clean out the innards of your halved hens. 

dry off excess moisture off the skin again and place in a foil-lined baking pan, cut side down. make sure to leave space in between each hen half!

rub the outside of each hen each with a 1/2 tablespoon olive oil until fully covered.

in a separate bowl, mix together the spices for the spice rub.

sprinkle the rub on top of the oiled hens and massage into the skin. lift up the wings and drumstick and sprinkle additional rub for even more flavor. when every halve is rubbed in, place the pan into the oven and roast for 25 minutes.

in a separate bowl, mix in the remaining olive oil with the sherry.

after 25 minutes, take the hens out and lower the heat to 350 F. while the oven is cooling, quickly baste, spoon, or drizzle the olive oil and sherry mix on top of the hens. i also like to baste the hens with a bit of its own juices to lock in some extra flavor. at this point, the hens should be a light golden brown and smell slightly fragrant.

when you are done, quickly place in the oven and roast for another 25 minutes.

when you are done, remove the baking pan from the oven and place on a heatproof surface. the skin should be a golden brown and shiny, and when pierced with the tip of a knife, the meat should have clear liquid stream out from it. if the liquid does not come out, place back in the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes. cover with foil until ready to serve!

in the meantime, you can also whip up some of my favorite things to eat. ever. 

mashed poooootatooooooooes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's really quick! make this while your hens are roasting!

this is a really simple side that helps give your hen or other flavorful entree time to shine while adding its own simple, yet rich flavor.

ingredients!!!

6-8 large red potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of half-and-half, cream, or milk
4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced.

what to do!!!

1. peel and cut your potatoes into 12 chunks and let the pieces soak in cold water for 5 minutes. strain and set aside.
2. boil enough water to cover your potatoes, usually 5-7 cups depending on the size of your potatoes. once it reaches a boiling point, add the potatoes and boil for 20 minutes.
3. when you can easily pierce and shake off a piece of potato off a skewer or fork, then they are ready. strain the potatoes and replace them back in the hot, empty pot. immediately mash your potatoes until small lumps remain.
4. add the butter in small chunks and mash until the potatoes become smooth. fold the potatoes with a spatula to ensure that the butter is completely incorporated.
5. add the salt and half-and-half; adjust both salt and half-and-half to get the taste and texture that you want.
6. cover until ready to eat! to reheat, simply place the pot on a med-low flame and stir to combine and heat evenly.