Thyme, Oregano and Citrus Roast Cornish Hens excerpted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa by Diana Henry. Photography by Jason Lowe.
‘I love this book so much’ – Nigel Slater
‘An all-time classic. The book I’m happy to return to, over and over again. It’s an utter joy to cook from, as it is to dig deep into the stories’ – Yotam Ottolenghi
‘This book has a special place in my heart’ – Claudia Roden
‘The culinary script for the 21st century’ – John & Sally McKenna
Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons gathers together dishes that combine colourful, aromatic and perfumed ingredients, bringing an intoxicating whiff of warmer climes to your table. Recipes range from chermoula-marinated tuna with pomegranate couscous to roast Catalan chicken with quince allioli, cardamom-baked figs and plums, to orange cake with marmalade and orange flower cream. This beautiful new edition of much-loved cookery author Diana Henry‘s first book will introduce these magical recipes to a whole new generation of cooks.
In this culinary exploration of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa, Diana Henry has gathered dishes that combine exotic flavours in ways long forgotten – or never discovered – in many Western kitchens.
Colourful, aromatic and perfumed ingredients, from leathery pomegranates, with their insides bursting with ruby seeds, to flower-waters that allow you to drink in the scent of a garden, combine to bring an intoxicating whiff of the exotic to your table and pleasure to your kitchen.
The core ingredients of these cuisines are increasingly available so dishes such as Chermoula-marinated Tuna, Fennel, Pomegranate and Feta Salad, and Lavender, Orange and Almond Cake are both delicious and accessible to cook.
Thyme, Oregano and Citrus Roast Cornish Hens
Mix all the marinade ingredients together, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Put the Cornish hens, breast side-down, into the marinade, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight. Move the Cornish hens around every so often so all the sides get a chance to soak in the marinade.
serves 4
4 Cornish hens
4 oranges, skin left on, cut into large wedges olive oil
for the marinade
finely grated zest of 1 orange, plus the juice of 4 finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed leaves from about 6 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons dried Greek oregano (rigani)
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the marinade ingredients together, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Put the Cornish hens, breast side-down, into the marinade, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight. Move the Cornish hens around every so often so all the sides get a chance to soak in the marinade.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Take the Cornish hens out of the marinade and put them into a roasting pan with the orange wedges. Drizzle a little extra oil over the oranges and season them. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes, spooning the marinade over everything as it cooks.
When the Cornish hens are cooked, drain off the pan juices, skim off the fat and slightly reduce the juices in a saucepan by boiling for a few minutes, until you have something with the consistency of light gravy.
Serve the Cornish hens surrounded by the orange wedges, with the juices on the side.
‘During moments of faith and credulity I am almost tempted to believe that what is most necessary in the preparation of distinguished food was preordained to grow with savage fury and to withstand all weather. This is certainly true of rosemary, sage and thyme.” THE UNPREJUDICED PALATE, ANGELO PELLEGRINI
Recipe published with permission from Octopus Books.