Roasted Cornish Hens with Black-Olive Butter

Succulent Cornish hens roasted to golden perfection with a rich black olive and caper butter spread under the skin. Finished with a white wine pan sauce for an elegant main course.

8 servings

1 hr 20 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2 cloves garlic cloves
•2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot
•1 stick unsalted butter
•½ teaspoon black pepper
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon Kalamata olives
•1 tablespoon capers
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•4 whole Cornish hens
•¼ cup dry white wine
•1 piece baking pan

Cooking Instructions

1.
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.
10 min
2.
With motor of a food processor running, drop garlic cloves into processor to finely chop. Add shallot and pulse until finely chopped. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic mixture (do not wash bowl of food processor), pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to turn golden, 3 to minutes. Return garlic mixture to food processor and add olives and capers. Pulse until olives and capers are finely chopped. Add 5 tablespoons butter and pulse until smooth.
10 min
3.
Brush baking pan with oil (1 tablespoon).
2 min
4.
Working with 1 hen half at a time, slide your index finger under skin on each breast and around legs, including drumsticks, being careful not to tear skin. Place 1 tablespoon olive butter under skin on each half hen, then massage skin over thigh, drumstick, and breast to distribute butter.
15 min
5.
Arrange hen halves, skin sides up, in baking pan. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small skillet, then brush evenly over skin of hens. Sprinkle hens evenly with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
8 min
6.
Roast hens until golden and just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
30 min
7.
Transfer hens to a platter, then straddle baking pan over 2 burners and add wine. Deglaze pan by simmering over low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes. Transfer pan sauce to a small serving bowl and skim fat with a spoon. Serve hens with sauce.
5 min

Cooking Instructions

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.

10 min

With motor of a food processor running, drop garlic cloves into processor to finely chop. Add shallot and pulse until finely chopped. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic mixture (do not wash bowl of food processor), pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to turn golden, 3 to minutes. Return garlic mixture to food processor and add olives and capers. Pulse until olives and capers are finely chopped. Add 5 tablespoons butter and pulse until smooth.

10 min

Brush baking pan with oil (1 tablespoon).

2 min

Working with 1 hen half at a time, slide your index finger under skin on each breast and around legs, including drumsticks, being careful not to tear skin. Place 1 tablespoon olive butter under skin on each half hen, then massage skin over thigh, drumstick, and breast to distribute butter.

15 min

Arrange hen halves, skin sides up, in baking pan. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small skillet, then brush evenly over skin of hens. Sprinkle hens evenly with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.

8 min

Roast hens until golden and just cooked through, about 30 minutes.

30 min

Transfer hens to a platter, then straddle baking pan over 2 burners and add wine. Deglaze pan by simmering over low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes. Transfer pan sauce to a small serving bowl and skim fat with a spoon. Serve hens with sauce.

5 min