Cornish Hen Dinner..Success!! (Recipe Included)

February 18, 2012 • Leave a Comment

I LOOOOOOVE to cook---but since Zechariah's birth I've had significantly less time to try new recipes. I would always pass by the cute little Cornish hens in the grocery store thinking "one of these days I'm going to cook a couple of those for dinner...but really I was just to scared of the unknown, and I would always end up with frozen chicken breasts in my basket--afraid to step out of my comfort zone... Well, I finally did it--I bought some Cornish hens and cooked them tonight for dinner--and they were DELICIOUS! They were super easy and fast to make---and Cornish hens are only about $3.95 apiece (BIG plus)!

I found the basic recipe in a magazine, but I tweaked it a little--of course. Here's how I make them (recipe serves 2--an entire bird for each person)

Marinade (blend all this together in a food processor until smooth)

1/4 cup EVOO
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1.5 tsp dry)

about 8-10 fresh basil leaves (or 1.5 tsp dry)

2 small shallots

Stuff 1/4 an onion and some parsley, celery or carrots in the body cavity of each birdie, then place each bird on its back and rub the marinade under the skin, in all of the crevices, and on top of the skin (be really careful because the skin tears quite easily) Then...truss that bird!! (Don't know what 'truss means? that's OK neither did I, but I googled it and it basically just means to tie the legs together with kitchen twin...or dental floss---whatever you happen to have on hand). Put these in a shallow 9x13 baking pan and in the fridge for about an hour or so. When you take them out, make sure you tuck the wing tips under the body so they don't burn (check out the picture above)

Mix:
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sherry or Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional--I think I'll do without these next time)
1/2 small onion chopped

Dump all of this in the bottom of the baking pan with the hens, and put it in a 450 degree oven for about 35 minutes (or until internal temp is 165 degrees)

Last step....

When the hens are done cooking, take all of the pan drippings from the baking pan and dump them in a skillet on med heat. slowly add 1-2 tsp of flour and stir till thickened, then add 3 tbsp of butter (or not if you feel like being healthy that day) and pour the resulting sauce over the hens. Serve with wild rice and veggies and enjoy!!!

VERSE OF THE DAY

"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear. The Lord is the STRONGHOLD of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27;1

MARCH is right around the corner, and I'm celebrating by offering a new studio style mini-session for babies ages 3-5 months! check out the flyer below!! I only book weekends, and they get full quickly--so book with us soon!

Keywords: Cornish Hen, Recipes, Tummy Time

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