Cornish Hen Under a Brick

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min.

Makes

2 servings

Updated: Oct. 03, 2022
Classic Mediterranean flavors such as lemon, garlic and olive oil are used to season this tender hen. It's then seared in a hot skillet and weighted with a foil-wrapped brick before being finished off in a hot oven. The weight of the hot brick helps the poultry cook more quickly, so the meat stays moist.—Taste of Home Cooking School, Greendale, Wisconsin

Ingredients

  • 1 Cornish game hen (20 to 24 ounces)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 cup minced parsley
  • 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions

  1. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone of the hen; remove backbone and discard. With a sharp knife, split the hen in half through the breast bone. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
  2. Grate lemon peel and place peel in a small bowl. Add parsley, steak seasoning and garlic; mix well. Loosen skin on chicken and rub seasonings under and on skin. Brush hen halves with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat remaining olive oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place hen halves in skillet, skin side up. Cook until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the hen halves over. Place 1-2 clean foil-wrapped bricks on top of the hen halves. Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180°.