Cornish Hens With Ancho-Cider Glaze
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
- 4 -6 Cornish hens (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each)
- salt, pepper
- 1 quart apple cider, boiled down to about 2/3 cup
- 13 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried ancho chile powder or 1 tablespoon other medium-hot chile, to taste
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 13 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Make the hens: About 2 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cover the bottom of a large shallow baking pan with the onion rounds.
- Tie together the legs of each hen with cotton string.
- Arrange the hens, breast side up, on top of the onion rounds, leaving some space around each bird so the skin will crisp.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the glaze: Mix all the glaze ingredients (except salt and pepper) together in a small bowl.Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the mixture over each hen.
- Place the pan of hens in the preheated oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.
- Roast the hens for 30 minutes, basting with their pan juices once or twice.
- Then raise the heat back to 400 degrees, baste each hen with about 2 tablespoons of sauce, and continue roasting and basting with pan juices for 20 more minutes, or unril the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
- At this point spoon a bit more sauce over the hens and run them under the broiler briefly, so they turn a deep, rich brown.
- Watch them carefully so they don't burn.
- Remove the hens from the pan to a platter and let them rest in a warm placefor 10 to 15 minutes.
- Set the hens' roasting pan on two burners and remove the onions from the pan.
- Add any remaining basting sauce/glaze to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high.
- Using a wooden spatula, scrape any brown bits sticking to the pan and stir as you boil the pan sauce for 3 minutes, or until it's rich tasting and almost syrupy.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- To serve the hens, place them on a warm platter, scrape the reduced pan juices over them, and scatter with the optional pine nuts.
- Serve hot.
onion, cornish hens, salt, apple cider, cider vinegar, soy sauce, chile powder, brown sugar, garlic, salt, nuts
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/cornish-hens-with-ancho-cider-glaze-473770 (may not work)