Instructions: Place rack in lower half of oven; preheat to 5000F. If you have a ventilator fan on stove, turn it on. Reserving other giblets for gravy, discard necks and livers. Season hen cavities with salt, pepper and thyme. Trim stem ends from parsley and add 1 tablespoon to each cavity, along with a bay leaf. Tie legs together, fold back wings and place hens breast side up in a roasting pan.

Roast hens for about 30 minutes, basting once with butter, until skin is brown and crisp and juices run clear with no hint of pink when thigh is pierced. Remove hens from pan and skim off all but 3 tablespoons drippings to be used in gravy. Serve on a bed of wild rice; garnish with parsley and lemon wedges and pass gravy separately.

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