Smoked Paprika Roasted Cornish Game Hen

So a blog follower friend of mine at work was telling me about a stew that she made over the weekend and how she used a spice she hadn't used before called Smoked Paprika. The following morning I came into work and a little baggie with two tablespoons of Smoked Paprika was sitting on my desk. (Thanks Mary Ellen)

Over the weekend I was determined to try the spice in a dish but didn't feel like having stew. In searching for uses for Smoked Paprika I came across a recipe at Simply Recipes that used the spice as a rub for chicken and decided to try it. (Thanks Elise) I decided not to go the rub route, I wanted to baste the bird during the roasting process.

Since I was cooking for one I decided to go with a Rock Cornish Game Hen. I've always loved game hens just haven't made them that often.

I have really no reason for posting this photo except hens and chickens just look funny when photographed like this. Sorry, makes me laugh.

When I finished baking the bird, I made some balsamic glazed carrots and sat down to eat.

Every once in a while, ya know how you make something and you think, "Oh My God, this is so good I will be making it regularly from now on" That is how good the glaze and Cornish Game Hen tasted. I was totally blown away and will probably get into more recipes that contain my new friend, "Smoked Paprika"

Please try it, you will love this recipe:

Ingredients and Method:

1 or 2 Cornish game hens, completely thawed
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
pinch of salt

Rinse the game hen thoroughly and pat dry.

Cut lemon in half, sqeeze out two tablespoons and scrape for 1/2 teaspoon zest. Place half
the lemon inside the game hen.

Combine honey, lemon juice, zest, butter, paprika and salt in a small dish and stir well.

Baste the hen with the paprika mixture.

Place in roasting pan and roast at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 175 degrees.

Important: While baking re-baste with paprika mixture 4 or 5 times. The more the better as it will tend to build up a nice coating.

Remove hen from oven, let sit for at least 10 minutes. Dig in and enjoy. This is SO good, trust me.