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Cornish Game Hens Marbella

Dinner for two or four is so easy when using Cornish Game Hens. Plus they just glam up a recipe, don't they!? This easy braise is a party in your mouth with the combination of dates, olives, capers and garlic. Molasses rounds out the briny nature of the ingredients to create a balanced glaze and sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean, North American, Spanish
Keyword capers, castelvetrano olives, cornish game hen, dates, molasses
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Marinating Time 6 hours
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 2 small Cornish Game Hens see Notes
  • 5 garlic cloves crushed
  • 3/4 cup (15 grams) fresh oregano leaves, plus extra for serving
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup (100 grams) pitted green olives
  • 6 tbsp 60 grams capers, plus 2 tbsp of the brine
  • 4 1/2 oz (120 grams) Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp molasses, date molasses if possible

Instructions

  1. To Spatchcock the Hens: Place the hens on a cutting board, breasts underneath, with the legs pointing down towards you. Feel for the low opening and then the upper opening. Using kitchen shears cut from the large opening up through the ribs on one side of the backbone to the upper opening. Repeat on the other side of the backbone. Repeat with the other hen. Save these two backbones for stock. Place the hens breast side up, and using the heel of your palm, gently but firmly press down on the breast bone to crack it: this will help the hens lay flat in the baking dish.

  2. Place the hens, breast side up with the knees pointed into each other, in a large non-reactive bowl and add the garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, olives, capers, dates, and bay leaves, along with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of cracked pepper.
  3. Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 days. Stir the ingredients occasionally to make sure everything is marinating evenly.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400F
  5. Line a baking pan that can hold the chicken, marinade ingredients, as well as another 1/2 cup of liquid, with parchment paper, going up all the sides.
  6. Transfer everything in the bowl to the pan, spreading everything out evenly.
  7. Whisk the wine and molasses in a small bowl. Pour this evenly over the chicken pieces.
  8. Place the baking pan in the oven, uncovered, and roast for 50 minutes. Baste several times until the meat is cooked through. Depending on the size of your hens, it may take longer. Thats alright, it won't dry out!!
  9. Transfer everything to a platter, and sprinkle with remaining oregano leaves.
  10. See blog post for more details.

Recipe Notes

If you don't want to lay out the spatchcocked hens out flat, feel free to cut through the breast bone to create two pieces from one hen. This works great if your hens are on the larger side, as one half can easily feed one person. This means that the dish will feed four.
You can replace the hens with 8 chicken legs or thighs, skin on (about 3 lbs or 1/4 kg) Score the skin a few times