Honey Spiced Cornish Game Hens Recipe

Honey Spiced Cornish Game Hens Recipe

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

Cornish game hen, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a roasting pan with non-stick foil (for easier clean-up). In a small, heavy saucepan, bring olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine, honey, allspice, chili powder, onion powder, and sage to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Tie the legs of the Cornish hens together with twine. You may also wish to tuck back the wingtips under the birds or trim them off completely. (They sometimes get a little blackened due to the sugars in the glaze.)

Brush the Cornish hens on both sides with the cooled glaze, reserving the remainder for basting. Place the hens in the prepared pan, breast side-up. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with reserved glaze. The hens are done when a meat thermometer24 placed between the thigh and breast reaches 165 F. Let game hens rest for 10 minutes before serving.