I have always been a fan of Cornish Game Hens. Prior to my taking Mounjaro and Zepbound, when I ate more, I loved having my own little chicken. Now that my husband and I both eat much less, we share one. They roast quite quickly if you flatten them out in a procedure called Spatchcocking. It's easy if you have good Kitchen Shears. These are excellent heavy duty ones. Don't let your husband or kids use them as regular scissors!
Amazon Kitchen Sheers Just $14 - I use these.
When you 'spatchcock' poultry, you are cutting out the backbone and flattening out the bird so it can roast more quickly in one thinner layer.
It is not very difficult. Set the game hen on your cutting board, breast-side down, legs towards you. Using good kitchen scissors, cut through the flesh and bone along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and place in a Zip Lock along with the wrappings in the trash. Open the hen, flip so skin side is now up, then flatten it by pressing hard on the breastbone with the heel of your hand. You’ll feel it breaking and flattening under your hand. Snip off any chunks of fat and neaten up any excess skin.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place hen in roasting pan skin side up. Season all over with a drizzle of olive oil and Lemon Pepper or a great BBQ Rub then roast for one hour, basting during cooking. To check doneness, pierce the bird between the leg and the body and the juices should run clear. Plate for two people. Yum!
