Sunny Anderson's Butterflied Cornish Hens with Sage Butter

1 . Stage

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2 . Stage

Place hens on a sheet tray fitted with a cooling rack in the refrigerator for one hour. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, melt butter with sage, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Remove hens from refrigerator.

3 . Stage

Preheat two large sauté pans over medium heat; lightly coat with oil. Season hens with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, in the pans. Sear until skin caramelizes and turns golden brown and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Flip birds over and baste with sage butter.

4 . Stage

Sprinkle tops with chopped bacon and place in oven to finish cooking, 25 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.