How To Impress Almost Anyone

It's true. Despite being one of the easiest things to make, almost everyone is impressed when presented with a juicy oven roasted chicken. If, like myself, your kitchen is the size of a shoe box, and your oven the size of a quarter, you may want to try the above pictured recipe. It's not exactly a chicken, but Cornish game hen. They're much smaller, usually less than two pounds, and almost sinfully cheap, even in NYC. A 1.55 lb game hen is the perfect portion for one person, costs less than $4.00, and only takes 35 minutes to cook. My favorite game hen recipe includes a glaze that only takes about 10 minutes to make, and it's literally just a matter of mixing the ingredients and letting them boil down into a glaze. Season your chicken, glaze it, bake it, and you're done! It's really even easier than it sounds. I like to serve it over couscous made with chicken stock, carrots and peas (another great time saver). The recipe I use originally ran in a 1992 issue of Gourmet. I've actually changed it a bit (mostly just the spices, I prefer using cumin and coriander, and omitting the fennel seed) but I think it's a really great, and you'll enjoy making it for friends, or for yourself. If you want to take a look at the original, it's available at epicurious.com.

Cornish Game Hen with Honey-Vinegar Glaze

1 Cornish game hen
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp paprika
salt
pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse hen under cold water, removing and discarding innards. Pat dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper and with 1/4 tsp each cumin, coriander and paprika. Set hen aside.

2. Mix honey, vinegar and olive oil in a small saucepan with remaining cumin and coriander and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow mixture to reduce, stirring occasionally with a whisk until glaze coats the back of a spoon.

3. Brush glaze onto the hen, setting aside any remaining glaze. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes (until juices run clear), basting with remaining glaze every 10 minutes. Allow hen to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

-Laura