Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens

Balsamic Glazed
Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hens are a cross between a White Rock hen and a Cornish hen.

Donald John Tyson wanted to create a specialty item for "foodies."

They look like miniature chickens and the meat is quite a bit more tender.

The standard size is about 1 1/4 pounds and one-half hen is sufficient

as a course if you are serving many courses. They are easy to split in

half and roasting is the best method of cooking them. For more recipes you

can see this wonderful collection of Cornish Game Hen recipes. I like to make

this dish in a 13-inch oven safe nonstick griddle pan from Calphalon. You can then

just place the pan on the stovetop to complete the recipe and make the glaze.

You can use plain dark brown sugar, but Muscovado is superior

in taste and is just the best brown sugar you will find.

2 Cornish Game Hens (2 1/2 pounds)

Marinade

1 cup balsamic vinegar

(or look for Grey Poupon Balsamic Vinegar at your local store)

1 whole garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 springs fresh rosemary

Glaze

Pan juices

1 tablespoon muscovado brown sugar

1 teaspoon chicken base

Freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns

Seasoning salt

1. Place a large resealable bag in a plastic container (for safety! in case the

bag breaks because the bones on the chicken are pretty sharp when the

chicken is cut in half.). Then, cut the hens in half using a sharp butcher knife.

This is pretty easy and won't take much effort.

2. Place halved hens in the plastic bag. Top with the balsamic

vinegar, garlic, chopped onions and sprigs of rosemary.

3. Close the bag and seal to keep in juices. Marinate overnight

or at least 12 hours and turn the bag at least once

during the marinating process.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. An hour before serving, dump the entire bag (marinade and all)

out into the 13-inch griddle pan. Arrange the halves so that the

wings are facing up. Top each with a rosemary sprig.

6. Roast uncovered for 1 hour.

7. Set the roasted hens on a serving platter. Strain the juices and

return them to the pan. Simmer until reduced almost by half.

Tilt the pan so you can remove most of the grease which is

clear and easy to remove with a large spoon.

8. Heat over medium heat and add the brown sugar and chicken base.

Cook just until thickened and has the appearance of a glaze. Pour the

glaze over the hens and serve with a sprinkling of freshly ground

pepper and a bit of seasoning salt.

Hint: Serve with your favorite herbed rice and vegetables. You can also add a bit

more sugar to taste. You can also just season the glaze instead of seasoning each

hen-half before serving.

Serves 4 when you have other courses or serves 2 as an elegant main course.

We would love to have you print this recipe for your own use.