Cornish Game Hen with Grand Marnier Sauce

Roasted Game Hens

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix zest and juice of one orange, soy sauce, garlic, honey, brown sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Pat dry the game hens, season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities with fresh sage and thyme leaves. Tie or truss legs together.
4. Place game hens in a small roasting pan. Pour sauce over the hens and cover. Roast at 425 F. for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 350 F. and continue roasting an additional 60 minutes or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of leg reaches 160 F. See below to finish the sauce.

Game Hens in the Slow-Cooker or Crock-Pot

1. Mix zest and juice of one orange, soy sauce, garlic, honey, brown sugar, and salt together in the slow cooker.
2. Split the birds down the back and flatten them out and put in slow cooker, breast side down.
3. Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours. Flip birds and continue cooking an additional 1 1/2 hours.

For the Grand Marnier Sauce

1. Remove birds from crock pot or roasting pan and strain the juices.
2. Heat the remaining juice/marinade over a medium heat until reduced by half and slightly thicker. This will depend on how much liquid you have left. There will be more liquid if you cooked the birds in a slow cooker. You want the sauce to be about as thick as maple syrup. Remove pan from heat.
3. Finish sauce by whisking in 4 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of Grand Mariner. It will be glossy and coat the back of a spoon
4. Finish birds by browning skin under broiler for a couple of minutes until the skin in golden brown.
5. Spoon some sauce over each bird.