Maple-glazed Cornish hens with spinach and pear
4
Point(s)
Total Time
1 hr 5 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Cornish hens are one of those dishes that seems intimidating, but you’ll discover they really aren’t as hard to prepare as they appear. These hens are spatchcocked, or flattened, so that they cook more quickly and brown nicely. They sit on top of the sweet and crunchy spinach, pear, and pecan mixture, which benefits from the flavor dripping down from the birds. The best way to test the Cornish hens for doneness is inserting an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. Once it reads 165°F, they’re ready. The result is a sophisticated meal that’s fancy enough for a dinner party
Ingredients
Maple syrup
4 tsp
Unsalted butter
2 tsp, melted
Chopped frozen spinach
10 oz, thawed and squeezed dry
Pear(s)
1 large, Bosc varitey, peeled, cored, and diced
Chopped pecans
2 Tbsp
Uncooked shallot(s)
1 item(s), finely chopped
Table salt
¾ tsp
Ground nutmeg
¼ tsp
Black pepper
¼ tsp
Uncooked skinless Cornish hen
4 oz, 2 (1 1/4-pound) Cornish hens, giblets removed