LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Game Hens with Honey Caramelized Onions


Game hens with honey-caramelized pearl onions Photos Susie Iventosch

(Serves 6)

When Andy Scheck told me he was looking for recipes using honey, I thought back to this fabulous recipe I found in Bon Appetit way back in May of 1991! It was one of my "go to" party dishes back in the day, but I had not made it in at least 15 years. So, I resuscitated the recipe, made it for the family last Friday and remembered why it was one of my favorites.

Though the recipe calls for Sauternes, I did not have any in the wine cellar, so we used a Riesling instead. I also think it would be excellent using a Pinot Noir in place of the sweet white, but have yet to try that. The honey will still make the sauce very sweet, but the sauce would have a nice reddish color and a rich flavor.

Game Hens

3 game hens, split in half

Season hens with salt and pepper and place in roasting dish, skin side up. Bake in 425F oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until juices from thigh run clear.

Honey Sauternes Sauce

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 cups wine (Sauternes, Riesling, or a Pinot Noir)

1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat honey in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until honey darkens and becomes fragrant, swirling pan occasionally. This takes about 3 minutes or so.

Add, thyme, wine and chicken stock and boil until mixture is reduced to about 1 cup.

Add soy sauce and boil for just a minute or two longer.

Can be prepared ahead of time and reheated just prior to serving.

Caramelized Onions

2-3 cups of pearl onions (I used all three colors, brown, white and red)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon honey

Fill a medium sized pot about 2/3 to the top with water. Bring to a boil. Add pearl onions and boil for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse onions under cold water to cool. When cool, use a sharp knife to trim off the root and peel the onions.

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden brown and tender. Add honey and continue to cook until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally.

To Serve

Place game hen on plate with a mixed rice pilaf. Distribute pearl onions evenly among plates. Spoon sauce over rice, onions and hens.