Herb Cornish Hens with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

 

4

Rock Cornish hens (about 2 lb each)

2

tablespoons roasted garlic-flavored vegetable oil or plain vegetable oil

1

teaspoon salt

1

teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2

teaspoon pepper

1

can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce

3

tablespoons sweet orange marmalade

2

teaspoons grated gingerroot

1

clementine tangerine, peeled, sectioned

Thyme sprigs, if desired

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. On rack in shallow roasting pan, place hens, breast sides up. Brush with oil. Sprinkle inside and out with salt, dried thyme and pepper. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone.
• 2 Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 180°F and juice of hens is clear when thickest part of thigh is cut.
• 3 Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat cranberry sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Stir in marmalade, gingerroot and clementine sections. Cook 1 minute.
• 4 To serve, cut each hen in half along backbone and breastbone from tail to neck, using kitchen scissors. Serve hens with warm sauce. Garnish with thyme sprigs.