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Special Ingredients: None

Special Equipment: Creme Brûlée Torch (optional)

Ingredients:

4 Cornish Hens

1 Lemon

1 Yellow onion

4 Tbsp chopped garlic chive

1 Tbsp chopped oregano

1 tsp chopped sage

10-12 lbs of coarse kosher salt

4-6 cups of water

Parchment paper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Into the cavity of each Cornish hen, place a quarter of a lemon, a handful of diced onion, and a generous pinch of the chopped herbs. Then, coat the exterior of each hen with the remaining herbs.

You’ll need approximately 3lbs of salt for each hen. To 3lbs of salt, add 1 cup of water and mix by hand to achieve a texture similar to that of wet sand. Create a bed of salt for each hen on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, or directly on the cookie sheet. Set each hen on its own bed of salt and then add pack handfuls of salt around each bird until they are completely encased.

Bake for 60 minutes. A probe thermometer can pierce the salt shell and plunge into the flesh in different directions. Ensure an internal temperature of at least 155º before removing from the oven. Allow them to rest for 15-20 minutes. In that time, the hens will continue to increase in temperature.

After resting, crack the salt shells open with a wooden mallet or a heavy handled implement. Carefully peel back the large shards of salt crust. There may be considerable amounts of steam coming from the interior, so be careful not to burn your fingers.

The birds can either be served as-is or you can toast the skin with the torch to add color, texture, and flavor.