A fast and delicious Italian braised cornish hen recipe that melds the rich flavors of butter, anchovies and Marsala wine with bright and fresh lemon flavors!

Preparation List for Lemon Anchovy Cornish Hen:

Servings: 4
Cook Time: 40 min
Ingredients:
- 2 cornish hens (can also use 1 small chicken but cook time may be a bit longer)
- 1 small lemon cut in half
- 1/2 cup(120ml) marsala wine
- 3 tablespoons(45ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons(56g) unsalted butter
- 8 anchovy fillets in oil
- salt
- pepper

Lemon Anchovy Hens Recipe

Preheat Oven and Spatchcock the Hens: Preheat oven to 350F(175C). Spatchcocking is a technique to flatten the hens or chicken for easy cooking in a pan and will be described here. Set one of the hens breast side down and find the spine of the hen. With a pair of cooking shears, or a large knife, cut up the right side of the spine going from bottom to top as shown below in Figure 2. Then do the same on the left side, thus removing the spine and causing the hen to lay flat (Figure 4-5). Flip the hen over so that the breast is facing up and is pressed flat (Figure 6). Now take a large knife and cut through the breast bone to get two halves (Figure 7-8). Repeat all steps with 2nd hen.

Flatten Hens and Salt and Pepper Meat. Flip hen halves skin side down and place a heavy pan or pot on top and push down on the hens to help flatten them out. Add salt and pepper to each side of each of the 4 half hens.

Fry Hens. Heat an oven-safe pan over medium high heat, add 3 tablespoons(45ml) olive oil to the pan. Lay hens skin side down in the pan, laying them away from you to avoid oil splash. Let cook for about 4-7 minutes, looking to get a golden brown skin on the hens. When the color is reached (see right most image below), flip the hens and fry again for another 3 to 5 minutes to put more color on the back side of the hens.

Prepare Roasting Hens. Turn the burner off. Flip hens to be skin side down. Add 4 tablespoons(56g) of unsalted butter, the 1/2 cup(120ml) of marsala wine, and the lemon cut into two halves (place these skin side up as shown in the left picture below) to the pan. Carefully move the pan to the preheated oven and place inside. Take a large heavy pan (or other clean heavy oven-safe pot). Wrap the bottom of this with foil and put it on top of the chicken carefully (bottom right picture).

Press and Roast Hens. Roast hens for 15 minutes, then open oven and take the heavy pan (pot) off briefly and add the 8 anchovy fillets to the hen pan, then place the heavy pan(pot) back on. Roast for 5 more minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature is 185F/85C). Take heavy pan(pot) off and remove hen pan from oven.