Thanksgiving Roasted Cornish Game Hen

Since I live alone, and my family are spread across the globe (I have siblings in Alaska and France!), my Thanksgiving can be pretty lonely. Sometimes I spend it with friend's families, but not every year. This year is one of those years. So, an entire Turkey is kind of ridiculous for just one person! I'd be eating left over turkey for a month. Thus, I make myself a roasted game hen instead. Their only a few bucks and a decent size for one person, and with sides I even have some leftovers for the next day.

I had intended to make roasted brussel sprouts and Barefeet in the Kitchen's GF Sandwich Bread to accompany this hen for dinner, but the Bread came out so good that I kind of accidentally ate too much of it and by the time the bird was done, I didn't have any room left to eat it. I did try a bite of it before putting it in the fridge and it was amazingly juicy! I'm looking forward to reheating it for lunch or dinner today.

Ingredients:

• 4 (1-pound each) Cornish game bins, spatchcocked (see note 2)
• 4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 4 tsp thyme leaves
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
• fresh thyme sprig, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the one to 375º.
2. Spatchcock the hens (see note 2 for how to do this).
3. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the birds. Set them aside.
4. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, and thyme leaves.
5. Pour about 1/3 of the glaze into the bottom of a large roasting pan. Set the rest of the glaze aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. One at a time, place the hens in the pan, searing each side for about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Place them in the roasting pan breast side up. Add the drippings to the bottom of the roasting pan when finished.
7. Pour the remaining glaze over the hens.
8. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature is 165º, and there is no pink left inside.
9. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
10. Garnish with lemon slices and thyme sprig if desired. Serve.

Notes:

1. This recipe is Emeril Lagasse's as posted on the Cooking Channel's website as Honey-Lemon-Thyme Cornish Game Hen (but I made the full glaze and only one hen, and used Bragg's Amino Acids instead of the soy sauce).
2. How to spatchcock foul: 1) fully rinse the bird inside and out. 2) lay the bird on a cutting board, breast side down. 3) Using poultry shears (I used a chef's knife, but not sure this was good for it), cut from the neck to the tailbone and remove the spine and ribs. 4) Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breast bone to reveal the keel bone. 5) Grab the bird with both hands and open up like a book, bending all the way back so the sides meet on the again on the back. Return to breast side down on the cutting board and remove the keel bone. 6) Fully rinse the bird again. 7) Cut small slits in the skin behind the legs and tuck the wings into the slits until the elbows go through and hook the wings in place.