Persian-Style Baked Cornish Hens
Persian-Style Baked Cornish Hens are an easy, yet tasty meal to serve at any holiday dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
- 1 tbsp ground paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 one pound Cornish hens, rinsed, patted dry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- ½ cup pomegranate molasses
- Cooked farro, for serving
- Pomegranate arils, for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl combine turmeric, cumin, paprika, powder, salt and pepper.
- Place the Cornish hens into a large 12-inch cast iron skillet and drizzle each hen with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Next, take the turmeric spice mixture and rub all over each bird until well covered. Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Place the cast-iron skillet into the oven and roast for about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, and 1 tsp ground cumin to a boil. Stir to combine and then reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove the hens from the oven, and then pour the pomegranate sauce over each hen. Place the skillet back into the oven for another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the hen reaches 160 degrees.
- Serve the hens with farro and pomegranate arils for garnish.
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