Ingredients
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2 lemons
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1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
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4 Cornish game hens
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2 small onions
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1 (0.75 oz) pkg sage
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kitchen twine
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2 Granny Smith apples
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2 D'Anjou or Bartlett pears
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1/4 cup parsley
Steps
1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. From the lemons, grate all the zest and reserve the lemons. In a small bowl, mash the butter and zest together. Gently loosen the skin under breast of the hens with your finger and slide a lump of lemon butter underneath. Pat the skin dry and season all over with salt (in moderation) and pepper.
2
Halve the lemons. Peel and halve the onions. Place half a lemon, half an onion, and a few sprigs of sage inside the cavity of each hen. Tuck the wings of each hen behind and, using kitchen twine, tie the legs of each hen together.
3
Core the apples and the pears and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the hens on the baking sheet with the apples and pears and roast 1 hour, until an instant-read thermometer inserted between the thigh and the breast reads 165°F.
4
Let hens rest 15 min., loosely covered with foil. Meanwhile, chop the parsley and sprinkle over the hens. Serve with apples and pears.
