Description
Tender and juicy Cornish hens glazed with a sweet and aromatic honey mixture, perfect for a delightful dinner.
Ingredients
Units
- 2 Cornish hens, halved
- 1/4 lb (113 g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground turmeric
- 3 tablespoons (15 ml) soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together butter, honey, soy sauce, and spices. Brush onto hens.
- Place hens on racks on sheet pans and place in lower half of oven.
- Roast hens for 30 to 40 minutes, basting frequently with honey mixture.
- Instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh should register 160 degrees F.
- Serve over couscous.
Notes
- Baste every ten minutes, not just once at the start — repeated basting is what builds the lacquered, deep-golden skin, not a single coat of glaze.
- Halve the hens with kitchen shears through the backbone rather than a chef’s knife. It’s faster and the cut is cleaner on cold poultry.
- Pull the hens at 160°F in the thickest part of the thigh. They’ll climb a few more degrees while resting, and overshooting dries the breast meat out fast.
- Set the couscous under the rack, not beside it, so it catches the drippings as they render off the hens.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35