Baked Cornish Hens with Cumberland Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 Rock Cornish Hens about 1 pound each
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup water
- To Make Cumberland Sauce
- 1/ 4 cup orange zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup currant jelly
- 1/2 cup Sherry
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash of hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500F.
- Salt and pepper the cavity of each hen with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place the hens in a shallow roasting pan breast side up and brush the hens generously with butter.
- Roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Flip the hens to breast side down and pour 1/2 cup water over the top of the hens, decrease the temperature to 400F, cover with aluminum foil and continue roasting for 30 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil and turn the breasts, breast side up. Continue roasting for 30 more minutes or until hens are tender, basting time through the cooking cycle. While hens are finishing prepare the Cumberland Sauce.
- In a medium size saucepan mix together the orange and lemon zest, along with the orange and lemon juice.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook uncovered until zest becomes translucent; about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the jelly, Sherry, ground mustard, ginger, salt, and hot sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 1/4 cups of sauce. (Sauce will kind of thicken up)
- Serve Cornish Hens with the sauce poured over the top.
