Roasted Cornish Hens with Crisp Potatoes and Green Spring Vegetables

The perfect dish for Passover or Easter! A Recipe that serves company ~ 16 portions. All can be assembled ahead and reheated for serving. A easy and light Green Sauce is drizzled over, and some on the side for passing.

I just loved creating this dish. Thinking of fresh colors and flavors to accompany a Spring holiday dinner. At Passover, the meal can be heavy - and laden with matzo meal in almost every dish. This one will be the star of your table! 

This recipe was well thought out to save you time, a dish that can be made earlier in the day and reheated. Four cornish hens are halved, marinated and roasted at a high temperature to color and seal in the juices. Then the potatoes are added to the pan, the temperature is reduced, and they roast together. Serving size depends on half hen servings, or quarters. So, 8 large or 16 small servings. Think about the other main courses you will be serving to decide on quantities here. I am really picky about the vegetables! You want them to have maximum flavor and retain their bright green cheery color. So, they are quickly sauteed, and added to the chicken and potatoes in the pan. Ah! Not too hard.

The green sauce is fantastic, and as you see the color is key! ~ a gorgeous emerald green. To serve the sauce it should be reheated only until warm, so you don't lose the color. Thickened with arrowroot which is Kosher for Passover. Similar to thickening a sauce with cornstarch, it is dissolved on a little water, and stirred into the simmering sauce. Margarine can thicken a sauce too, but I do not care for the flavor or texture of it. The arrowroot worked perfectly; a delicious sauce with very little fat. Much of the flavor of the dish comes from the skin of the cornish hens. As they roast, they release some fat into the pan ~ really flavoring the potatoes.

Enjoy your holiday with family and friends.

A recipe to use over and over again for Passover, Easter or any large get together.

Karen 

Marinating the cornish hens with herbs and spices

Marinating the hens for an hour or overnight

Spring green vegetables are a nice addition to the cornish hens, crispy potatoes and green sauce

Cutting the yukon gold potatoes into even sized chunks

Cut onions (leeks and scallions), garlic and parsley ready for the green sauce, then blended until smooth and a bright jade green color

Fat asparagus, cubanelle peppers, and zucchini

Roasting the cornish hens with potatoes until crispy

Adding the sauteed veggies to the pan

The green sauce briefly cooking with chicken broth and white wine

Finished and ready to serve