Cornish Hen and Okra Stew
This Cornish Hen with Okra Stew is a festive comfort dish like no other. Utterly delicious, this dish is a complete entree of protein and vegetable meal and can easily serve four people.
My shopping list never includes Cornish Hens unless it is for a special occasion. But if I noticed a good buy, there’s no question, and I will buy a few cornish hens. I love a good roasted cornish hens recipe. Whether they are whole or split in half, it is all about the seasoning.
Can you believe that this recipe only requires one Cornish hen? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, one Cornish hen! The secret of this recipe is choosing a large bird and adding enough vegetables so the meal can serve four people. It is simple and easy to do.
What are Cornish hens?
Cornish hens are a particular breed of chicken weighing between 1 – 2 pounds. Sometimes referred to as Rock Cornish game hen, the flavor of Cornish hens is about the same as a regular chicken.
What’s in the recipe?
This is not your typical recipe. In the Caribbean culture, we add vegetables to any meat, poultry dish. We eat various vegetables mixed with chicken or red meat as long as the pairing is delicious. We like to combine with meat or poultry green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and vegetables such as okra, chayote, and cabbage.
For this recipe, I chose to create a tomato and onion sauce to cook the okra. I did not add tomato paste because I prefer using fresh tomatoes. The combination of fresh tomatoes, onions, and herbs is perfect for the Cornish hens.
The seasoning for the chicken consists of chicken bouillon powder, oil, vinegar, and Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce. The seasoning for the stew consists of fresh garlic, whole cloves, Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce, and Herbes de Provence (substitute for Italian Seasoning). I love this combination because it is fresh and very aromatic.
The Ingredients for the wonderful and delicious dish
You probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard, except for the hot and spicy sauce. If you haven’t purchased your jar yet, head over to Noubess.com; by the way, adding regular hot sauce will not give you the same result in taste and flavor.
Here are the ingredients:
For the cornish hen
- Cornish hen, need only 1 weighing at least 2 pounds. If you cannot find a large cornish hen, buy 2 small hens. You may have to increase the quantity of seasoning.
- Olive oil: regular olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil is fine
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: I use a low sodium chicken bouillon seasoning. I use this chicken bouillon seasoning.
- Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce. This sauce adds flavor and aroma. The more you use the spicier and flavorful the dish will be
- Apple Cider vinegar. Other vinegar such as cherry, or rice vinegar. White vinegar is a bit too strong for poultry marinades.
For the okra stew
- Okra: Fresh or frozen okra will work.
- Fresh tomatoes diced. Canned tomatoes are also good but you won’t get the fresh taste of tomatoes.
- Garlic, fresh is always better
- Onion: white or red, the choice is yours. You can also substitute it for shallots – more flavorful
- Whole Cloves. This little spice is very aromatic and full of healthy benefits.
- Herbes de Provence, very flavorful and full of aromatic herbs. You can also use Italian Seasoning
- Olive Oil: regular olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil is fine
- An additional teaspoon of Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce. This sauce adds flavor and aroma.
- Salt to taste, Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt.
The recipe
- Prepare your marinade and set it aside.
- Prep the hens: cut up the hen into smaller pieces – same as you would if you were cutting a whole chicken. Place the pieces into a large bowl and mix with the marinade. Let marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 415 F degrees.
- Remove the Cornish hen pieces from the refrigerator and place them onto a prepared baking pan—roast for 45 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the okra and tomatoes stew. In a large pot or Dutch oven, add oil, garlic, Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce, Herbes de Provence, tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes have started to release their juice.
- Add the onion, and whole cloves. Mix well.
- Add the okra and mix well. Let cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the Cornish hen and mix well.
- Add water, and bring to a boil. Season to taste with more seasoning and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve alone or with rice, or any other types of grains.
Tips and Notes
- Fresh ingredients are always to use when cooking.
- Serve with white rice, rice, and beans, or rice with peas. Also serve with boiled plantains, boiled potatoes, or boiled yams.
- You can also use a green or fresh seasoning blend instead of the Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning.
- Using tomato paste of tomato puree is optional.
- Any leftover, store in a glass or BPA free plastic container with a lid.
- Best to roast the cornish hens instead of frying them. Roasting is healthier than frying.
Looking for more stews recipes, try these:
- Veal with Peppers and Mushrooms
- Tasty and Delicious Red Wine Braised Oxtail
- Beef Shanks with Eggplant and Watercress
- Eggplant and Chayote Meatless Stew
- Beef Tripe with Lima Beans Stew
- Okra and Lamb Stew
- Eggplant, Zucchini and Fresh Tomato Stew
Cornish Hen and Okra Stew
Ingredients
For the Cornish hen marinade
- 1 – 2 pounds Cornish hen or 2 small hens.
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Chicken Bouillon Powder
- 1 tbsp Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce.
For the okra stew
- 16 oz Frozen Cut Okra or 2 ¼ cup Fresh Okra cut in halves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 – 3 Garlic cloves chopped
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes diced
- 1 tsp Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce
- 1 medium white onion sliced
- 3 – 4 Whole cloves
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning
- ¾ cup of warm water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your marinade by mixing the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, chicken bouillon powder, and Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce in a bowl and set it aside.
- Prep the hens: cut up the hen into smaller pieces – same as you would if you were cutting a whole chicken. Place the pieces into a large bowl and mix with the marinade. Let marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 415 F degrees.
- Remove the Cornish hen pieces from the refrigerator and place them onto a prepared baking pan. Roast for 45 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the okra and tomatoes stew. In a large pot or Dutch oven, add oil, garlic, Noubess Hot and Spicy Mango Sauce, Herbes de Provence, tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have started to release their juice,
- Add the onion, and whole cloves. Mix well.
- Add the okra and mix well. Let cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the Cornish hen and mix well.
- Add warm water, and bring to a boil. Season to taste with more seasoning and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve alone or with rice, or any other types of grains.
Video
Notes
- Fresh ingredients are always to use when cooking.
- Serve with white rice, rice, and beans, or rice with peas. Also serve with boiled plantains, boiled potatoes, or boiled yams.
- You can also use a green or fresh seasoning blend instead of the Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning.
- Using tomato paste of tomato puree is optional.
- Any leftover, store in a glass or BPA free plastic container with a lid.
- Best to roast the cornish hens instead of frying them. Roasting is healthier than frying.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
