Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cornish hen; split in half
- 2 c white wine
- 1/4 c pear preserves
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic - crushed
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp vinegar
- Sprig fresh thyme
Preparation:
1. Place the hen halves in a zippered plastic bag and add the wine. Squeeze out all the air you can and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours - turning occasionally to make sure the meat is well-marinated.
2. When ready to cook, remove the hen halves and pat dry - reserving wine. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Add 1 cup of the wine marinade to a small sauce pan along with all the remaining ingredients. (Reserve remaining 1 cup for another cooking use. I used it to deglaze the roasting pan and then added the juices to my gravy.)
4. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup - about 20 to 30 minutes - stirring regularly to prevent burning.
5. Arrange hen halves on a baking sheet or shallow broiler pan, season with salt and pepper and roast in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Brush hens with glaze and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Brush with glaze again and cook another 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, brush with glaze and tent with foil for 10 minutes before serving.