pomegranate-glazed cornish hens.
crispy, spiced skin brushed with sweet and tangy pomegranate reduction makes for the perfect Middle-Eastern inspired dinner for two
Makes: 2-4 servings Prep time: 05 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes
At the time of writing this, it’s right around Valentine’s Day, which is one of my favorite holidays to think up recipes for (I know, there’s no evidence to prove that, but it’s true). First of all, I love 2-serving developing, and doing anything in pairs is just cute. Secondly, it’s fun to think up slightly more involved recipes for those who want to flex their cooking prowess for the romance of the holiday. I don’t know, for some reason romance translates to fancy, expensive, involved — I could go on and on about effort, time, or money being the reason for that, but I think we all secretly know it. We aren’t just buying lobster because it looks cool.
The romance of cornish hens
Not your first thought for Valentine’s Day, right? Kind of a cheap, chicken-like food, nothing you’d shell out for at a restaurant (well, depends on the restaurant, as anything can be worth paying for).
No, they aren’t oysters or scallops or even a filet mignon, but cornish hens are delicious and a perfect presentation for a holiday like this one. They’re tiny, only a little bit bigger than your outspread hand, so one hen is about enough for one person. They are similar in taste to chicken but slightly gamier, but just as juicy and versatile.
This recipe emphasizes the best parts of using cornish hens by crisping their skin in the oven in a sweet and spicy butter, then glazing with tart pomegranate for balance and a little hint of brightness. It’s really good with rice, crispy potatoes, or risotto, and really easy — deceivingly so, perfect for valentine’s.
Adding pomegranate
If pomegranate sounds weird to you, skip it. Seriously; I won’t make you add it, and I’ll tell you why. These hens are perfect without it. The buttery, cumin-spiced skin is delicious on its own, and can be served as-is or with whatever kind of sauce you like (you know, that isn’t the pomegranate one I suggested). It would be just as good with a squeeze of lemon, a cream sauce, or even more butter. I love a sauce moment, but I actually stand by these plain, so don’t be afraid to skip the reduction.
pomegranate-glazed cornish hen ingredients
cornish hens: Right, you need these. These aren’t hard to find, but it may require going to grocery stores that specialize in meats. It’s not that it’s an expensive meat, it’s just not in high demand, so smaller stores might not bother to carry it. Walmart, Heinen’s, and Whole Foods do, so don’t feel like they’re totally out of reach.
Cornish hens aren’t expensive, either — I bought mine at $15 for the 2. That’s roughly $7 for an entire hen!
If you can’t find hens, just swap for chicken. You could make 1 small whole chicken with this recipe, or use large chicken breasts and thighs instead (for this, you’ll need to shorten the cook time considerably). I highly recommend bone-in for juicier results.
cumin, coriander, clove: You’ll be happiest using ground spices, but you can always use whole and grind them with a mortar and pestle. To these, you can add paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, or just keep as is (there are onion and garlic inside the cavity anyway)
shallot: You can use any onion, really, but shallot works best with all the strong flavors here. Slice in half and stuff each half into each hen. I prefer mine peeled, but you don’t have to.
garlic: You can go crazy and grate some garlic into the spices, but otherwise, just stuff a few crushed cloves into the hen cavity. You don’t have to count them out, just peel and crush a few big ones and toss inside.
lemon: This is just wedged into the cavity, but you can definitely add some to the skin, as well. Slice thick pieces and wedge into the hens with the shallot and garlic.
pomegranate juice: Ok, a reduction. It’s easy. Your hens are in the oven for an hour anyways. Splash the pomegranate juice into a skillet and let it simmer. That’s it! Use a good quality pomegranate juice for better results, and avoid anything that is mixed with other juices and flavors. Just pure pomegranate juice, no funny business. To make the reduction more interesting (otherwise, it’s just really rich pomegranate flavor) grate garlic and add butter to the reduction.
pomegranate-glazed cornish hen pairing options
You could easily make 2 cornish hens into a meal for 4. After all, it’s a whole hen. It’s tiny, but you can also split it into 2 legs, 2 wings, 2 breasts.. you get the idea. With hearty enough sides, you can make a seriously filling meal out of these guys.
rice, spiced with bay leaves, cilantro, and pepper
cheesy polenta
stewed tomatoes
crispy air-fried potatoes
oaky chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
