- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives
- 1 tablespoon drained capers (in brine)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-lb) Cornish hens (not frozen), halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- Special equipment: a 17- by 13-inch heavy shallow metal baking pan
- Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.
- 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.
- Brush baking pan with oil (1 tablespoon).
- 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.
- 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.
- Roast hens until golden and just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- 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.