Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Bacon-Herb Butter

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter
• Softened
• 2 strips Thick-sliced Smoked Bacon
• Roughly Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Sage
• 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
• Kosher Salt And Black Pepper
• 2 whole Cornish Game Hens
• Cleaned And Dried
• 1 whole Small Yellow Onion
• Quartered
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, pulse together the butter, bacon, and herbs until combined.
3. Season the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
4. Take each hen and slide your fingers between the skin and breast meat to loosen.
5. Be careful not to tear the skin.
6. Gently rub 2-3 tablespoons of the butter mixture underneath the skin.
7. Inside the cavity, heavily salt and pepper the hen.
8. Stuff the cavity with the remaining butter mixture and quartered onion.
9. Rub the exterior of the hens with olive oil and generously season with kosher salt and black pepper.
10. Truss the hens with kitchen twine.
11. Place the hens on a large, rimmed baking sheet or shallow roasting pan.
12. Rotating the pan halfway through cooking, roast the hens until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 45-50 minutes.
13. Carefully remove the hens and rest on a cutting board.
14. Loosely tent with aluminum foil and allow hens to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.