Boneless Citrus ginger Cornish hens stuffed

Ingredients

Hen Marinade (marinate overnight)

4 Boneless Cornish hens

1 cup orange juice

3 oz Ginger

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 ½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Black pepper

2 tsp. Onion powder

2 tsp. Garlic powder

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

1 tbls oil

Gravy

Cornish hen drippings

3 tbsp flour

2 sprigs Thyme leaves

½ tsp. Lemon zest

1 tsp. Grated ginger

1 tsp. Sugar

½ tsp. Salt

Instructions

Wash dry and debone the hens click here to see how to debone a Cornish hen
Blend together orange juice, zest, ginger, soy sauce and oil in a blender
Season the hens with the dry seasonings inside and out
Pour wet ingredients over the chicken, seal in a container and leave over night
The next morning, turn on oven to 450 degrees
Remove the chickens from marinade and stuff each chicken with 1 cup of stuffing to get back its shape
Use some kitchen twine and tie the drumsticks, use a toothpick to seal the rear end so the rice does not fall out
Drizzle some oil on the skin and rub it around, this will help in browning
Place the hens on a roasting pan with a tray inserted; pour water in the bottom of the pan, so the drippings do not burn
Place in the hot oven for 15 minutes continuously rotating the pan so the hens get an even color distribution
After the hens are brown, remove from oven, (add more water to the bottom if it has dried out) cover with foil and put back in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees
Remove the hens and place in a baking dish.
To make the gravy pour out the drippings in a cup to separate fat
In the same roasting pan placed on the stove, low heat, use 2 tablespoons of the dripping fat and cook the flour
Once the flour is cooked into a paste add the rest of the dripping liquid (not fat)
Once the flour has incorporated add ginger, lemon zest, salt, sugar and cook until thick
Pour over the hens and enjoy, you can also place them back in the oven at 450 for 5 minutes just so the gravy caramelizes on the skin of the hen