Cider Maple Oven Roasted Cornish Hen recipe
My Cider Maple Oven Roasted Cornish Hen recipe is a lovely way to celebrate the fall season with a meal that tastes like a blended harvest. This dinner recipe is easy to make and delicious enough that it could even pass for a holiday dinner. Save it to Pinterest now so you can make it!
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Servings: 4 - 5 people
Equipment
- 1 9x13 large roasting pan/baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish Hens
- 3-4 large yellow Dutch potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 - 1/3 yellow onion, quartered
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Divide by tablespoons
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs, plus more leaves for topping
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or 4 tbsp flour for thickening the Cider mix
- 6 sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 large apple. sliced
- Fresh parsley, fresh thyme for topping
- Additional sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Seasoning rub
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Combine seasoning mix in a small bowl and set aside.
- Prep the Cornish hens. Some Cornish Hens come with giblets. Remove those before proceeding and toss. Pat hens down with a paper towel.
- Rub the seasoning mix onto the Cornish Hens, lightly cover and set aside for about 10 minutes while you cut the vegetables.
- Line the bottom of the roasting pan or baking dish with the onions, potatoes and two sprigs of thyme. Place the hens onto of the vegetables and drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil. (One tablespoon for each bird and one for the vegetables.)
- Roast uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine the apple cider and maple syrup in a pan over the stove. Bring to a rolling boil and then simmer. Add corn starch or flour and whisk until it dissolves. Continue to simmer until the hens are done baking for the first 20 minutes.
- When the 20 minutes are up, remove the hens from the oven and drizzle ½ cup of the cider mix over each hen. Add the mushrooms and slices of apples. (You can reserve some apples for mixing in when the dish is finished cooking.) Lightly cover with tin foil and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
- When the time is up, remove the tin foil and bake for another 5 minutes to caramelize the cider and maple more. If you want the skin crisper, broil for 2-4 minutes. Watch it so you don’t burn the skin.
- Remove and drizzle the sauce over the hens. Sprinkle with more thyme, fresh parsley and additional sea salt and pepper to taste.
- *If you want to make a gravy from the drippings, combine them with the other half of the cider mix in a sauce pan on the stove over low heat. Mix in 1 -3 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch and whisk to dissolve. The more you add the thicker it will be. I recommend about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Season with salt and pepper to taste.