ORANGE-GLAZED GAME HENS

Orange-Glazed Game Hens image

Yield Serves 2 to 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup orange honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons minced orange peel (orange part only)
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
2 1 1/2-pound Cornish game hens, halved
3 oranges, peeled, white pith removed
Sesame seeds
6 ounces snow peas

Steps:

Mix first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Add hens skin side down. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours, turning once.
Using small sharp knife, cut between membranes of oranges to release segments. Set orange segments aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer hens to shallow baking pan. Place marinade in heavy small saucepan and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 12 minutes. Brush both sides of hens with reduced marinade. Arrange skin side up in pan. Roast 5 minutes. Baste hens. Cook 10 minutes longer. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Baste hens and cook 10 minutes. Sprinkle hens with sesame seeds and roast until cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.
Cook snow peas in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain. Place 1 hen half in center of each plate. Alternate snow peas and orange segments around hens and serve.