Cornish hens: A special little meal

By KEM77

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish hens, thawed, if frozen, and giblets, if any, removed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 3/4 cup apricot preserves or orange marmalade
• 1 generous tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup less-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from seattletimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pat the hens dry. Season the cavity and the entire hens with salt and pepper to taste.

If you plan on cooking them flat, cut the hens along each side of the backbone to flatten or cut in half entirely. If roasting them whole, tie the legs together with kitchen string.

Place the seasoned hens in a baking dish and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the five spice powder, apricot preserves or marmalade, mustard, orange juice and chicken broth. Heat over medium until the marmalade is melted and the mixture is almost smooth (there will be bits of orange peel from the marmalade).

Divide the sauce mixture in half; set aside one half to serve with the cooked hens.

Place the hens on a broiler pan rack. Drizzle with some of the reserved sauce.

Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and drizzle the hens again with the apricot sauce. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until the hens are done, about 30 minutes more or until cooked through. Remove from the oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. If serving 4, cut each hen in half and serve with the sauce.

From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis based on ½ Cornish hen without the skin. 399 calories (16 percent from fat), 7 grams fat (2 grams sat. fat), 44 grams carbohydrates, 41 grams protein, 254 mg sodium, 180 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber.