Cornish Hens with Apple Glaze
Submitted by JenR
Roasted Cornish game hens basted with a sticky apple juice and cinnamon glaze with lemon. Just 5 ingredients for a gorgeous, golden bird with sweet-tart lacquered skin.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
75 minREADY
95 minFive ingredients. That’s it. And somehow they combine into one of the most impressive roasted birds you’ll ever pull from an oven.
Frozen apple juice concentrate gets cooked down with cinnamon, cornstarch, and lemon slices into a thick, glossy glaze. Brush it over the hens before roasting and baste several times as they cook. The result is a lacquered, golden skin with a sweet-tart cinnamon kick that caramelizes into something absolutely irresistible.
Cut each hen in half to serve eight, and watch everyone try to figure out how something this simple tastes this good.
Kitchen Tips
- Use frozen apple juice concentrate straight from the thaw, undiluted. This is the key to a glaze thick and sweet enough to actually coat the hens.
- Baste every 15 to 20 minutes. Each layer builds up that sticky, caramelized coating.
- The lemon slices cooked into the glaze add brightness that keeps the sweetness from being one-note. Don’t skip them.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the hens and arrange in a small roasting pan.
In a saucepan, combine the apple juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Mix until smooth.
Add the lemon slices.
Cook and stir the apple-juice mixture over medium heat until the mixture thickens.
Brush this glaze over the hens.
Roast the hens in a 375℉ (190℃) F oven for 1 hour, or until they are fork tender, basting with additional sauce several times during cooking.
Cut the hens in half and serve.
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