Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens For Two -- A Quiet Sunday Dinner After the Win

Late November. Playoff round one. We won, forty-two to seven. The starters played a half. The second team played a half. Marcus had three TDs. Tyrese had two catches and a TD. Calvin had a sack. The team rolled.

Diego called Saturday night. He had played in his last regular-season game at CSU. He had a catch. He had a block on a long run. He sounded happy. He was preparing for finals.

Lisa and I had Sunday dinner together. The twins were at a friend's house. Sofia was at her workout. Just the two of us. I made grilled chicken. We ate on the patio. The November air was cold. We bundled up. We sat at the table for two hours. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

That Sunday with Lisa — just the two of us on the patio, bundled up in the cold November air — reminded me that some meals deserve to feel a little special. I didn’t want something heavy or fussy, but I wanted it to feel like more than just dinner. Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens for Two fit that evening perfectly: intimate, a little elegant, and sized exactly right for the quiet we’d earned after a week of big wins on a lot of fronts.

Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens For Two

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish game hens (about 1 1/4 lb each), thawed if frozen
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a small roasting pan or baking dish with foil and place a rack inside if you have one.
2. Prepare the hens. Pat the Cornish hens dry with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and tie the legs together loosely with kitchen twine. Season all over with salt and pepper.
3. Make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika. Warm for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until smooth and combined. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of glaze separately for serving.
4. Glaze and roast. Brush the hens generously all over with the apricot glaze. Place breast-side up on the rack in the roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes.
5. Glaze again and finish roasting. Brush the hens with another coat of glaze. Continue roasting for 25–30 more minutes, until the skin is deep golden and caramelized and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
6. Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with reserved glaze and garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 610 | Protein: 48g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 780mg