Ingredients
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4 Cornish game hens
Coarse sea salt and coarsely ground pepper
2-4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups Bing cherries, stemmed and pitted
4 inches of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 tsp sugar or 1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 cup ruby port
2 tbsp cherry vinegar (or other fruit vinegar)
Procedure
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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub game hens with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Place in oven and roast until tender, basting several times. When hens are tender, place on platter and keep warm. Place pan with juices over high heat, and deglaze pan with cherry vinegar. Add vanilla bean, sugar or honey, tarragon and port, and mix well. Add cherries and cook until cherries are tender and pan liquor has reduced by 1/2. If cherries are tender but the sauce hasn't reduced enough, spoon cherries into a small bowl and continue reducing liquor. Adjust seasonings, add cherries back into pan to heat if necessary, then pour over game hens and serve. Serves 4-6.
