Cranberries, those bright, tart fall fruits, are full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that may contribute to renal, bladder, and heart health. They are also a delicious staple of many an autumn table.
This recipe for Cornish Hens with Dried Cranberries was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She began sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has since become a company tradition.
“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places.”
–José Andrés Puerta
Cornish Hens with Dried Cranberries
Seriously Simple: Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks, Diane Rossen Worthington (2002)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sherry or Marsala wine
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Cornish hens (~1¼ pounds each), halved (The hens can be halved by cutting along the backbone)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup dry white wine
Instructions
- In a ziplock bag, combine the first 6 ingredients and mix. Add the Cornish hen halves, close the bag, and turn them to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 2–8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove the hens from the marinade and place in a roasting pan, breast side up. Pour the marinade over and roast in the oven, basting with pan juices every 15 minutes, for about 40–45 minutes or until golden brown. Place hens on a serving platter and cover with foil. Add cranberries and wine to the roasting pan and set on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Cook about 3 minutes to reduce juices or until cranberries are soft. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon over hens and serve immediately.
Notes
If you want more juice in the bottom of the pan after cooking, make a half recipe of the marinade without the oil and add that to the pan with the white wine and cranberries to make the sauce.