Cornish Game Hen with Double-Cranberry and Thyme Sauce

Ingredients

• Cranberries

  Sweetened, dried

  ¼ cup or 30g

• Cornish game hens, meat only

  Chicken, raw

  1 bird or 240g

• Chicken broth

  Soup, canned, ready-to-serve

  ¾ cup or 180g

• Wheat flour

  White, all-purpose, unenriched

  ½ tbsp or 4g

• Butter

  Unsalted

  3 tbsp or 43g

• Brown sugar

  1 tbsp or 9g

• Thyme

  Fresh

  3 tsp or 2g

• Cranberry juice cocktail

  Frozen concentrate

  2 ⅔ fl oz or 97g

• Grape juice

  Canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid

  ½ cup or 127g

Directions

1. Cut Cornish game hen in half, remove backbone, rinse and pat dry. Finely chop thyme. Thaw frozen cranberry juice cocktail.
2. Preheat oven to 450F. Blend 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, and 2 teaspoons thyme in small bowl. Sprinkle hen halves with salt and pepper. Spread skin of each with half of butter mixture. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add hen halves, skin side down. Sear until deep brown, about 4 minutes. Turn, skin side up, and sear 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer hen halves, skin side up, to small rimmed baking sheet. Reserve skillet (mixture will be dark). Roast hen halves until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with fork, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, blend remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon flour in small bowl. Add broth, grape juice, cranberry concentrate, and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme to reserved skillet. Boil until sauce is reduced to 3/4 cup, whisking often, about 7 minutes. Whisk in flour mixture and cranberries. Simmer until sauce coats spoon, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer hen halves to plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

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