CORNISH HEN WITH TART CHERRY SAUCE

Cornish Hen with Tart Cherry Sauce image

This was an idea I had for a long time but never got around to doing it and it came out fantastic couldn't have hoped for better. My wife and I loved it. The tart cherries complement the flavorful rub on the hen perfectly. For golden brown crispy skin increase temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for last 10 minutes of cooking.

Provided by Slim Cooker

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Cornish Hen Recipes

Time 1h50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
⅛ teaspoon paprika
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Cornish game hens
½ cup white wine
1 (15 ounce) can tart cherries, drained
1 ½ cups red wine
¼ cup pulp-free orange juice
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine sea salt, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika in a bowl. Place hens on a baking sheet and evenly brush with 5 tablespoons butter. Rub hens with spice mixture.
Bake hens in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 1/2 hour with white wine. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
Mix cherries, red wine, orange juice, and brown sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 2 tablespoons butter, and cook until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the sauce; whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle cherry sauce over cooked hens.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 646.2 calories, Carbohydrate 19.7 g, Cholesterol 204.4 mg, Fat 41.4 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 27.2 g, SaturatedFat 18.6 g, Sodium 530.5 mg, Sugar 13.5 g