Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Wildflower Honey & Orange

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish game hens
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup wildflower honey
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Remove the giblets from the hens, either discarding them or saving them for something else. With kitchen shears, snip down each side of the backbones and take them out, then split each hen through the breastbone so you have halves. Cut away the wing tips and place the hens in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the 6 Tbs. wine, honey, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes until the honey loosens into the mixture; a little undissolved honey is fine. Use a vegetable peeler to take wide strips of zest from the orange, dropping them right into the bowl with the hens. Pour in the honey mixture, add the sliced onion, and toss everything well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning the hens now and then.
2. About half an hour before roasting, lift the hen halves out of the marinade and pat them dry carefully, leaving as much of the thyme on the surface as you can. Set the hens on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet and leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes. Discard the marinade. Set an oven rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 450°F.
3. When you are ready to cook, sprinkle the hen halves on both sides with the salt and several grinds of pepper, then arrange them skin side up. Roast, brushing occasionally with the melted butter and turning the pan as needed so they brown evenly, until an instant-read thermometer placed in the thick part of a thigh reads 175° to 180°F, without touching bone, about 30 minutes. If the skin still looks a bit light, brush the hens again, set the broiler to high, and broil until well browned, turning the pan often, about 2 minutes. Watch closely so the skin does not burn. Move the hens to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
4. While the rimmed baking sheet is still hot, pour in the remaining 1/3 cup wine and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer the wine and pan juices to a small saucepan, then add the chicken broth. Boil over high heat until the sauce reduces just enough to lightly thicken, 2 to 3 minutes; it should be closer to a jus than a heavy sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if it needs it. Keep warm.
5. For serving, spoon a little sauce over and around the hens, and bring the rest to the table alongside.