Ancho Cider-Glazed Hens and Roasted Grapes with Winter Vegetables

Hens
1 large onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
3 Cornish game hens (1 to 1-1/4 pounds each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Glaze
1 quart apple cider, boiled down to about 2/3 cup
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground Ancho or other medium-hot chile, or to taste
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegetables
1 cup carrots (if possible, the little multi-colored ones with about 1 inch of their tops), cut lengthwise in half or quarters
1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved
1 cup potatoes
1/2 cup green seedless grapes
4 to 5 branches thyme
4 crushed garlic cloves
3 tablespoons good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Make the hens: About 2 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover the bottom of a large shallow baking pan (a half-sheet pan is ideal) with the onion rounds. Tie together the hens' legs with cotton string. Arrange the hens, breast side up, on the onions. You want some spacearound each one so they can crisp up. Sprinkle the birds with salt and pepper.

2. Make the glaze: Stir together in a medium bowl the reduced apple cider, cider vinegar, soy sauce, ground chile, brown sugar, and garlic. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the sauce over each hen.

3. Slip the pan into the oven and reduce the heat to 325°F. Roast the hens for 30 minutes, basting with their pan juices once or twice. Then raise the heat to 400°F., baste each hen with about 2 tablespoons of sauce, and continue roasting and basting with pan juices for 20 more minutes,or until the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F 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 rich, deep brown. Watch them carefully so they don't burn.

4. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the hens to a platter, and let them rest in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes. Roast the cornbread cubes as directed in the recipe and reheat the roasted vegetables.

5. As they heat up, set the hens' roasting pan on two burners and remove the onions from the pan. Add any remaining basting sauce to the roasting pan. Raise the heat to medium-high or high. With a wood spatula, scrape any brown glaze from the pan and stir as you boil the pan sauce for 3 minutes,or until it's rich tasting and almost syrupy. Taste for seasoning, add any necessary salt and pepper, and keep hot.

6. To serve the hens, warm a large serving platter in the oven for a few minutes. Then heap the vegetables and cornbread on it and tuck in the hens. Scrape all the pan juices over the birds and vegetables and serve the dish hot.

To make the vegetables:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. On a large half-sheet pan, toss the carrots, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, grapes, thyme and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Roast, turning often, for 45 minutes to 1-1/4 hours, or until the vegetables are browned and tender.

Serving Size: 3 hens split over 4 servings

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHANDRACETA.