Roasted Hens with Fig and Date Glaze
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
4 Cornish Hens - patted dry and any giblets removed
1 Whole Head Fresh Garlic
2 Bunches Fresh Thyme
2 Bunches Fresh Rosemary
2 Bunches Green Onions - cut into 2 inch pieces
2 Tbs Kosher Salt
¼ Cup Honey for ‘basting’
-OPTIONAL-
4oz Fresh Figs - sliced in half
Glaze:
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Cup Shallot - minced
2 Cups Red Wine
2 ½ Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Honey
20 Dried Figs - small chopped (can substitute fresh figs if available)
20 Dates - pitted and small chopped
Kosher Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Peel the head of garlic and halve all of the garlic cloves and dived into 4 equal portions - Insert into the cavity of each hen - Divide the thyme, rosemary, and green onion into 4 equal portions and insert into the cavity of each hen
- Season hens evenly with the 2 Tbs of kosher salt - Tie the legs of each hen with butcher’s twine and place on a rimmed baking tray lined with aluminum foil making sure to tuck the wing tips underneath so they do not burn
- Place hens in the oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes - Brush the hens with about ½ of the honey and return to oven to cook for another 15 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium/large pan over high heat until shimmering - Add the shallot and allow to cook, stirring regularly, until golden (apx 5 minutes)
- Add the red wine and bring to a simmer - As soon as a simmer is reached, reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for 5 minutes - After the 5 minutes, add the vinegar, honey, figs, dates, a large pinch of salt, and thoroughly combine - Allow to cook, stirring regularly, until reduced by about half (apx 10-12 minutes) - Remove from heat and set aside until needed - IF USING, add the fresh fig halves to steep
- After the hens have baked (and been basted with honey once) for 30 minutes, again brush with the remaining honey and continue to bake for another 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and give the hens a good brushing of the fig/date glaze - IF USING, remove the fresh fig halves from the fig/date glaze using a slotted spoon and spread around the hens - Return to oven and allow to cook until the fig halves are tender, and the internal temperature of the hens reaches 160°F (apx 15-20 minutes more)
- Remove from the oven and give hens another good brushing of the fig/date glaze - Loosely tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, remove the butcher’s twine and transfer the hens (and fig halves if using) to serving dish(es) and serve hot with remaining fig/date glaze on the side as sauce - If desired, use sharp kitchen shears to cut the hens in half (discard the herbs from the cavities) and serve half a hen per person bringing the recipe yield to 8 servings
