This was an idea I had for a long time but never got around to doing it and it came out fantastic couldn’t have hoped for better. My wife and I loved it. The tart cherries complement the flavorful rub on the hen perfectly. For golden brown crispy skin increase temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for last 10 minutes of cooking.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Cornish game hens
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 (15 ounce) can tart cherries, drained
- 1 ½ cups red wine
- ¼ cup pulp-free orange juice
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine sea salt, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika in a bowl. Place hens on a baking sheet and evenly brush with 5 tablespoons butter. Rub hens with spice mixture.
- Bake hens in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 1/2 hour with white wine. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
- Mix cherries, red wine, orange juice, and brown sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 2 tablespoons butter, and cook until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the sauce; whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle cherry sauce over cooked hens.
