Orange Turmeric Cornish Hens
Ingredients:
2 Cornish Hens
2 small Oranges (Clementine or Mandarin are fine)
5 cloves Garlic, sliced length-wise in half
1 cup Greek-Style yogurt
1 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Coriander Seed, ground
1/4 tsp Cardamom
1/2 tsp Cilantro, dried
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Orange Zest
Directions:
- Slice 1 Orange in half. Leave the other Orange alone for now.
- Divide the Garlic between the two Orange halves, and poke them into the flesh of the Orange. You should have five slivers of Garlic per Orange half.
- Place each Garlic-studded Orange into a Cornish Hen, garlic-side down.
- In a small bowl combine the Yogurt, Spices, Herbs, Seasonings, and Zest, and mix well.
- In a large bowl or pan, cover the Hens with the Yogurt mixture. Make sure to get the bottom of the Hens. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 400°F
- Place the marinated hens in a shallow baking dish, and place in the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then increase heat to 500°F for an additional 15 minutes.
- Slice the remaining Orange into rounds (1/8″ thick) and use as a bed for the Hens to set upon for serving.
- Remove the Hens and place on the Orange bed.
Makes 2 Servings.
NOTES: You can increase the spices to give it a kick, or add some crushed red pepper. This dish was one of those happy accidents–I wanted something with some flavor, some citrus, and Cornish hens were on sale. I was so pleased with the turn out I had to share it. If I were to assign an ethnicity to the food, I’d probably say it is reminiscent of a Tandoori-style chicken in Indian cuisine. A true Tandoori would use a Marsala spice mixture (which does include cayenne pepper). Additionally, tandoori chicken is cooked in a clay oven called a Tandoor.
