Grilled or Broiled Cornish Hens with Vinegar

This light sauce is super with any grilled poultry, from chicken to squab (it’s good with rabbit too). Once you split the hens, you can cook them according to any recipe for split chicken
, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.

2 Cornish hens, about 1 pound each

1 cup chicken, beef, or other stock (to make your own)

2 tablespoons vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

• Heat a charcoal or gas grill or the broiler to moderate heat and put the grill rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Remove the backbone of the hens by cutting along their length on each side. Boil the stock and the backbones in a small saucepan until reduced by about half, about 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and some salt and pepper if necessary.
• Grill or broil the hens, turning frequently so they brown but do not burn and sprinkling them with salt and pepper. Toward the end of the cooking time (which will be 20 to 30 minutes total, depending on the intensity of the heat), begin basting the hens with the vinegar sauce. When the hens are done, drizzle them with the remaining sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve hot or at room temperature.

MAKES: 2 to 4 servings

TIME: About 40 minutes