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    Home » Main

    Cornish Hens With Orange Apricot Glaze

    Published: Oct 1, 2020 · Modified: Sep 15, 2022 by Carolyn Hetke · This post may contain affiliate links,

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    These Cornish Hens with Orange Apricot Glaze are so rich and savoury! Perfect for a small gathering!

    Two stuffed Cornish hens on a platter.

    In the strangeness that is 2020 or 'the year of Covid 19' you may find yourself with a much smaller holiday gathering.

    So if you are looking for a tasty alternative to roasting a 20-pound turkey - these hens might be for you!

    Cornish Hens have more flavour than chicken or turkey. They are more moist and almost halfway between white meat and dark meat.

    Portion-wise, if you are serving a variety of sides and perhaps as few courses ½ a half will make a nice portion size. Having said that - if you have big strapping appetites at your table it is not unheard of for someone to polish off an entire hen. So- be prepared!

    This recipe uses an orange-scented brine, some orange in the glaze and some orange notes in the dressing. I was afraid it might be too much orange but it definitely wasn't. It adds a bit of sweet richness all around but I am not sure you would even pick out the orange flavour overtly.

    At any rate- we were all moaning and licking your fingers as we devoured our little Thanksgiving feast!

    Table setting Cornish hens, stuffed with Root Vegetable casserole and baked squash.

    I would certainly say the hens with the dressing and jus from the roasting pan had far more flavour than your average roasted turkey.

    I am not dissing turkey! I love me a good holiday bird but I am just saying this recipe holds its own!

    What to Serve With Cornish Hens With Orange Apricot Glaze?

    I served them with these Root Vegetables au Gratin.

    Serving of layered beets, sweet potato, Yukon Gold potatoes, cheese and panko crumb topping.
    Root Vegetables au Gratin

    And Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage Butter.

    Two roasted acorn squash halves with butter and sage.

    And then we topped it off with this Maple Cream Tart. I literally dreamt about this the night after I had it! My first reaction to maple desserts is the thought of a cloying sweetness - but not this one! It is like maple custard!

    Maple Cream pastry tart decorated with acorn pastry cutouts and whipped cream.

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    Two stuffed Cornish hens on a platter.

    Cornish Hens with Orange Apricot Glaze

    This small scale holiday recipe is not short on flavour!
    Author: Carolyn Hetke

    If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!

    5 from 1 vote
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    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 1 hour hr
    Brining Time: 1 day d
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 Cornish Hens
    • ½ cup orange juice to be used at the time of roasting the hens
    • ½ cup water to be used at the time of roasting the hens

    Brine

    • 2 cups orange juice
    • juice of 2 mandarin oranges
    • 6 cups water
    • ½ cup coarse salt Kosher or Pickling salt
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 1 cinnamon stick

    Orange Apricot Glaze

    • 1 pkg dry onion soup mix about 1 oz or 30 grams
    • ½ cup apricot jam
    • ¼ cup orange juice

    Dressing

    • ½ recipe Orange Cranberry Pecan Bread in ½" cubes (about 4 cups)
    • 1 small onion
    • ½ cup celery diced
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or ½ tablespoon dried
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ¼ cup orange juice
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    Brine

    • Mix all brine ingredients together. Clean cavities of hens and rinse thoroughly.
    • Put hens in a large container and pour brine over them. Hens should be submerged or almost submerged. You may need to use 2 containers.
    • Refrigerate hens in brine for 24-48 hours. If hens are not completely submerged turn them over every 12 hours.
    • An hour or so before you start to cook them, drain the brine and pat the hens dry.

    Dressing

    • Sauté onion and celery in butter until soft and translucent. About 8 minutes.
    • Add the thyme, salt and pepper.
    • Mix vegetables with the bread cubes and cranberries. Pour in orange juice and stir to moisten the mixture.

    Hens

    • Preheat oven to 375°.
    • Stuff hens with the dressing. Position hens in a large roast pan. Add the ½ cup each or orange juice and water.
    • Tent the hens loosely with foil and roast 40 minutes. Mix the glaze ingredients while hens are roasting. Remove foil and brush on the glaze. Return hens to the oven and roast another 20 minutes or so uncovered.
    • Internal temperature of the hen should reach 180° and dressing should reach 165°. If not using a thermometer check that the leg joint moves easily and juices run clear.
    • Strain the pan juices and reserve to drizzle over hens when serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 237mg | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 536IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thewineloverski or tag #thewineloverski!

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    Hi! I am Carolyn - the Wine Lover in the Wine Lover's Kitchen! I absolutely love having friends and family around my table with great food and wine to enjoy. If you want great recipes and wine recommendations you have come to the right place!

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