Cornish Hens With Oranges & Onions
This delightful recipe combines the unique flavors of oranges and Cornish hens to create a savory and citrusy dish that is perfect for a special meal. The zesty orange marinade infuses the hens with bright and aromatic flavors, while the sweet and tangy orange-onion bed creates a deliciously flavorful base for roasting. With each bite, you'll experience a harmonious blend of tender hens and juicy orange notes that will leave your taste buds craving for more.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 4 oranges
- 4 Cornish hens, each about 1 1/2 lb.
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
- Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 sweet onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 1 of the oranges in 1/2-inch strips. Reserve the orange. Pat the hens dry. Place the zest strips and garlic in the cavities of the Cornish hens, dividing evenly. Brush the hens with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Remove the hens from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat an oven to 425°F.
- Working with one orange at a time, cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of the fruit to expose the flesh. Stand the orange on a flat end and, following the contour of the fruit, cut away the peel and white pith all around the fruit. Working over a bowl, make a cut on both sides of each segment to free it from the membrane, letting the segment and juice drop into the bowl. Coarsely chop the orange segments.
- Add the onions and 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil to the bowl with the orange pieces and stir to combine. Pour the onion-orange mixture into a baking dish just large enough to hold the hens and spread out evenly. Place the hens, breast side up, on top of the onion-orange mixture. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the hen, away from the bone, registers 160°F, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Transfer the hens to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide the onion-orange mixture evenly among warmed individual plates, top each with a hen and serve immediately. Serves 6.
- Adapted from Williams-Sonoma <i>Chicken for Dinner</i> (Weldon Owen, 2009).
Yield
Serves 6.
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