Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Step 2

Rub Cornish hen with lemon. Sprinkle generous amounts of salt & pepper all over the skin. My number one mistake when I was younger was not seasoning my meat enough with salt and pepper. Sprinkle every square inch of the Cornish hen with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Then sprinkle generous amounts of paprika all over the Cornish hen followed by a little bit of rosemary.

Step 4

Place the lemon in the cavity of the Cornish hen with the cloves of garlic. Roast the Cornish hen in a roasting pan.

Step 5

Roast in oven for 25 minutes.

Step 6

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Step 7

Baste the meat often with the juices from the pan. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer. The Cornish hen is done when a meat thermometer shows the internal temperature has reached a safe point for poultry.

Step 8

Let the Cornish hen rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.