Maple Orange Cornish Hens
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
- 1⁄3 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 3 (1 1/4 lb) Cornish hens
- 1 tablespoon orange rind, finely grated
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
directions
- In small saucepan, whisk together maple syrup, orange juice, wine (if using) and rosemary. Bring to boil; boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until glaze is slightly thickened. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, cut wing tips from hens. Using kitchen shears or sharp knife, cut along each side of back bone; discard backbone. Cut through breastbone to separate into halves. Trim off excess fat and skin. Gently loosen skin from each half of hens, leaving skin attached at back side. Startinng at breast, ease in orange rind over flesh under skin.
- Place hens, skin side up, on foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; brush with 1/3 of glaze. Roast in 375 F oven, brushing with glaze twice, for 45 minutes or until browned and juices run clear when hen is pierced.
- Arrange hens on serving platter; garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and orange slices, if desired.
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Reviews
-
We loved this recipe! I am always on the lookout for game hen recipes and this was great. It was easy to make as well. I only made 2 hens but I didn't change the proportions of the other ingredients. I am thinking of using this for our holiday meal at Christmas. Thanks for posting a keeper! Made for PAC Fall 2009.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am in my second year of retirement and thoroughly enjoying it. My husband Ron and I have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of 2 sons in their 20's. We have lived in Barrie, a growing city on the shores of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, for 30 years and have no plans to move anytime in the near future. Obviously, we like it here!
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<br>I like to try different recipes and have found Receipzaar a great resource. Reading the reviews that others cooks have posted has also helped me become a little more adventurous in making adaptations myself. I have always been a bit of a slave to the written recipe and now find myself incorporating other suggestions and even making a few of my own modifications.