Cornish Game Hen for one

 I recently became a single person, not by choice but by the death of my husband.  I don't say this to garner sympathy, but as a simple statement of fact.  

I'd been used to making food for us as a couple, and loved the convenience of making enough food for multiple meals, freezing a lot of food for easy future meals.  I still have lots of Spaghetti Sauce in the freezer.  It was one of my go-to, easy to get on the table fast meals. 

But I won't be doing much of that anymore.   While I'm fond of Spaghetti, it's really not something I want on a weekly basis, and in fact, I have about a year's supply of it in the freezer right now.  

I'm in a new phase of my life now, and I thought I'd go ahead and share meals you can make for one or two people.  

I love a little Cornish Game hen, and used to make them on a semi regular basis, until the day my husband told me that he really did not care for them.  So I stopped buying them.   

I think this is a perfect, semi indulgent meal for one person, and depending on the sides, enough leftovers to make another meal. 

Or throw a couple more hens into the oven and have company over.   If you feel like having company that is. 

I personally love adding a touch of sweet to poultry of any sort and this recipe takes full advantage of that.  I also got to use some of the Mango Chutney I'd made and frozen a few months ago.   However, it would be totally awesome with some bottled commercial Mango Chutney as well.

I roasted the hen first, and then added the chutney to the breast area, and roasted it an additional 10 minutes or so at 400 degrees.  Just long enough to caramelize the chutney a little and brown the chicken.  

After it was cooked, I let it rest a good 20 minutes, and then cut it in half with my kitchen shears.  I had some chicken gravy in a packet, I also added some more chutney to the gravy, and let it simmer a bit.  While the chicken was resting, I made up the gravy and also baked a small Yorkshire Pudding wrap.

I roasted some broccoli, while the Yorkshire pudding was baking and had an amazing dinner, perfect for one person.  

    I did still have the other half of the hen, so a couple days later, I added the meat, which I'd taken off the bone, to the leftover gravy, and added even more chutney.  I enjoyed it served over some Basmati rice and steamed broccoli. 

 

Cornish Game Hen with Chutney

Yield: 1-2

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking -

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 Hourinactive time: 20 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This little Cornish Game Hen is a perfect size for one or two people. Adding Chutney to the hen as it roasts, adds a lovely fruity note.

Ingredients

Roast Hen

• 1 Cornish Game Hen
• 1/4 cup Mango Chutney
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy

• 1 packet dry chicken gravy mix, that makes 2 cups.
• 1/4 cup Mango Chutney

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chicken in a shallow pan with a rim.  Salt and Pepper the outside and roast for 45 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear.   Remove from oven, and spoon the 1/4 cup chutney over the breast, smoothing it out evenly.  Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and place the chicken back in the oven.  This allows the chutney to add the flavor and caramelize a little.  If needed, you can add a little water to the pan. 
2. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15-20 minutes before carving or cutting it up.  This ensures that the meat is moist and tender.  And it's also easier to handle.
3. Serve with your choice of carbs and vegetable. 

Gravy

1. Mix the gravy according to directions, and cook til thick.  Add the 1/4 cup chutney and heat through.
2. Serve with the Cornish game hen.

Estimate only

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