Roasted Cornish Game Hen

This is a deceptively elegant meal to serve to company -- it looks a lot harder than it actually is.

Serve 1 hen per person, and the day before you plan to serve them, soak them in the following marinade, which is enough for 6-8 birds:

The zest and juice of 2 lemons and 2 oranges
3 - 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp. fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
5 cloves of garlic, grated or crushed

Mix this together and it should be like a thin paste. Slather the hens on the inside and outside with the marinade, making sure to get some under the skin to it flavors the meat directly, pouring the remainder in the pan/dish in which you're marinating them. Cover with foil and refrigerate for for 20-24 hours.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator an hour before you plan to put them in the oven, and drain the excess marinade from them. Put them in a large roasting pan, with at least a little bit of room in between each hen so they can cook evenly.

Preheat your over to 400 degrees, and place the hens in the oven for 1 hour -- for the last 10-15 minutes, turn the heat up to 425 degrees so the skin crisps up a bit.

When they are done, place them on a large platter, cover with foil and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Strain all the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan into a sauce pan and after letting it sit for a minute, strain off most of the liquid fat that rises to the top. Add 1/3 cup of dry vermouth, sherry, white wine or marsala wine (whichever you like best), and boil rapidly for 5 minutes to evaporate all the alcohol. Serve this alongside the hens in case anyone would like theirs even a bit more juicy and succulent.

Wild rice pilaf is a very traditional side-dish with cornish game hens, but let your imagination run wild!

As a final tip, after dinner, save all the hen carcasses in ziploc bags, and freeze them until you are ready to make chicken broth -- they work perfectly for this!