Baked Cornish Hens with Spice Rub and Pomegranate Molasses (Persian)

Persian-Style Baked Cornish Hens are an easy, yet tasty meal to serve at any holiday dinner. The spice mixture is super simple to make. A combination of turmeric, paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Rub the mixture all over the hens and then roast for about an hour. That's it.

2 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1 Tbsp. ground paprika
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
3 (1¼-1½ lbs) whole Cornish hens, at room temperature, rinsed well and patted dry
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chicken stock
2 cups pomegranate juice
½ cup pomegranate molasses

To Serve:
cooked farro
pomegranate arils
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

In a small bowl combine turmeric, cumin, paprika, powder, salt and pepper. Place the Cornish hens into a large 12" 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 15-20 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°F. Serve the hens with farro and pomegranate arils for garnish.

Makes 3 servings.

Cook's Notes: Cornish hens are hard to find fresh, most will be frozen. They can easily be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Them them come to room temperature before cooking, about 30 minutes. Then be sure to pay dry.