Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Pomegranate-Orange Glazed Cornish Hens — because sometimes plain broiled chicken just wont’ do! This is a festive dish. Trust me!
Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 large orange, sliced thin
2 Cornish game hens
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons water
Procedure
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place onion and orange rounds in the pan. Place hens, skin-side up, on top; rub with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the hens until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the breast registers 170°F, 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, combine marmalade, pomegranate syrup, cardamom, tarragon and cayenne. Remove hens from oven. Set oven to broil and place a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Brush the hens with marmalade mixture. Broil until glaze is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the hens to a serving platter or plates. Remove all but one orange slice from the pan and place over medium heat. Add water and bring to a simmer, using the orange slice as a spatula to scrape up any browned bits. Pour this pan sauce over the hens. Nice with a wild rice Pilaf.
