Cornish Hens with Passion Fruit Guava Glaze

Cornish Hens with Passion Fruit Guava Glaze

2-3 hens, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 cup guava jelly

1 cup sherry wine

1 1/2 cups passion fruit juice

4-5 cloves garlic

1 lemon, cut in quarters

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

About 10 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

About 10 sprigs fresh sage leaves

About 6 sprigs rosemary

Pinch of paprika

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season inside and outside of rinsed, dried hens with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Inside the cavity of each hen, stuff 1-2 garlic cloves and the fresh herbs.

In a saucepan, combine guava jelly with juice, sherry, salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of garlic powder and a sprinkle of paprika. Simmer over medium-high heat until jelly has melted and mixture is slightly reduced/thickened. Pour some of the sauce over the hens, then bake in the oven for an hour to an hour and twenty minutes, until cooked through. Reserve the rest of the sauce for drizzling over the finished hens.

I served the hens with a side of cranberry compote and some roasted sweet potatoes, fennel, and parsnips tossed with olive oil and seasoned with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice.