This is one of my favorite recipes to make when I’m feeling a little lazy and want something delicious and comforting. Listen, this is a judge-free zone so if you’re wanting to learn how to make some autopilot recipes that you don’t have to babysit, you’re in the right spot. You can’t go wrong with a roasted bird and some potatoes, right? I typically stick with roasting cornish hens since I cook for myself and don’t want to waste any excess chicken, but you can definitely make this with a whole chicken and adjust the cooking time accordingly. I always like spatchcocking (or butterflying) my poultry for even cooking time and super extra crispy skin.

My favorite part of this dish? The potatoes! I learned this trick from my culinary externship days at a local Greek restaurant when I always had to prep and make the potatoes for service: SO much flavor packed into them, so simple to make, and using my favorite Spice Tribe spices on this dish makes it sing. When I make dishes with minimal ingredients, I enjoy using quality items because there’s not much to hide behind. The flavors just pop! The juices and fat from the cornish hen drip onto the potatoes while they steam thanks to the chicken broth, so you get super flavorful and tender potatoes each time. Let’s get going!

Lemon Chicken Bake

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 2

1 cornish hen, spatchcocked

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

2 large lemons, juiced (save half for the potatoes)

Large pinch kosher salt

Large pinch ground Spice Tribe Late Harvest Peppercorns

3 tsp Spice Tribe Pimentón de La Vera - Smoked Spanish Paprika (save half for the potatoes)

3-4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into even-sized wedges

1 cup chicken stock, unsalted (see note)

6-8 fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat your oven to 375ºF.

Note: I prefer to use homemade chicken stock since I always keep a few delis in the freezer that I thaw out as needed for recipes. If you use store-bought stock, just make sure you use a bone broth or brand that isn’t salted.

In a medium mixing bowl, season the cornish hen with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, a large pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika. Rub all over and let the hen marinate and come to room temperature for even roasting. Set aside.

Next, toss the potato wedges with a little bit of olive oil, the juice of the other lemon, a large pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, and the other teaspoon and a half of smoked paprika. Toss together to make sure the potatoes are well coated. Place them in a large cast iron skillet or roasting dish and carefully fill with 1 cup of the chicken stock. Top the potatoes and stock with sprigs of fresh thyme.

Then, place the hen on top of the bed of potatoes and sprinkle with a tiny bit more kosher salt so the skin can crisp and roast with the legs facing the back of the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the bird and once the juices run clear in the thigh or internal temperature reaches 160ºF (carryover cooking will bring it up to the safe zone of 165ºF) and the potatoes are fork-tender. The time will obviously vary based on the size of the hen or if you end up using an entire chicken so adjust accordingly!

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Serve a spoonful or two of the potatoes with a cornish hen half and then spoon the lemony-brothy sauce all over. Garnish with a little bit more cracked black pepper and enjoy! This dish would be great with a simple green salad, which is what I enjoyed with it.

¡Buen provecho!