Honeyed Fowl {Party Like a Lanister}

Another main dish I cooked for Brian's Game of Thrones birthday lunch: honeyed fowl. And I didn't want to just serve chicken, so I opted for duck and Cornish game hens. I considered quail, too, but realized I would need about 50 quail to feed our hungry troops.

The duck was easy. I adapted my Maple-Syrup Glazed Duck by simply swapping out local, raw honey for the maple syrup during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Easy peasy. I served it with a Pinot Noir reduction on the side.

I haven't made Cornish game hens in about a decade. I don't know why. It just doesn't occur to me to purchase them. However, after the reception they received, I will definitely make them again.

2 Cornish game hens
5 lemons
2 clementines
hickory salt - enough to rub the birds inside and out
5 T butter, melted
honey - enough to drizzle over the top

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Take any innards from the hen cavity. Rinse, dry, and rub with hickory salt. When your birds are empty, rinse them under cold water. Pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity with some salt. I used freshly ground hickory sea salt from the Monterey Bay Salt Company. Slice the citrus fruits in half and stuff them into the cavity. Rub the outside of the birds with more hickory salt. Place them in a baking dish and cover them with foil.

Roast them for 60 minutes. Uncover them and baste them with melted butter. Re-cover them and roast them for another 60 minutes. Uncover and baste them with melted butter. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F. Drizzle them with honey.

Stick your pan back in the oven, and roast at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes - just until your birds are a beautiful brown color. Keep a close eye on it, and pull it out if it starts to burn.