BEER BERRY BIRD

BEER BERRY BIRD image

Yield people

Number Of Ingredients 9

Beer birds
2 Cornish game hens, split in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
1/4 pound/125 g bacon strips, quartered
4 bay leaves
2 branches fresh rosemary, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon juniper berries
2 cups/500 ml beer

Steps:

To make the hens: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season the hens well with salt and pepper and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Tuck in the garlic, bacon, and herbs. Scatter over the juniper berries. Pour the beer in the side of the dish. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the pieces and bake another 15 minutes. Turn again and bake 15 minutes longer. By now the meat should be cooked and sticky with a slightly caramelized sauce. If the hens are done, but there is still too much sauce, simply keep the hens warm while you boil the sauce down a little. Serve the hens with the sauce - herbs, juniper and all - poured over.