Rock Cornish Hens A L'Orange

Preheast the oven to 450F. Quarter one orange, leaving the peel on. Peel the second orange and cut into 1/4" thick slices. Set the slices aside for garnish. Season the hens with salt and pepper. Insert and orange quarter inside the cavity of each hen. (This keeps the chicken moist.) Place the hens breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. Bake for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the pan drippings. If you see the hens getting too brown, turn them over - breast side down to crisp the underside. Remove the hens from the oven and cover with the orange sauce. (This much may be done several hours in advance, if desired.) Lower the oven temperature to 350o and return the hens to bake 15 to 20 minutes more. To server, slice each hen in half down the mid-line, remove the quartered orange, and discard it. Garnish with an orange slice, and serve any extra orange sauce alongside. 6 to 8 portions Orange Sauce: 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 10.5 ounce can beef consomme 3 tablespoons port wine 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water grated peel of 1 orange 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 1 tablespoon butter Boil the sugar and the vinegar in a saucepan over high heat for several minutes until the mixture turns into a rich brown syrup. Remove from the heat and add the consomme. Return the syrup to the heat, stir to dissolve the mixture, and simmer for 1 minute. Add the port, cornstarch mixture, and orange peel. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce is clear and slightly thickened. Whisk in the Grand Marnier and butter, remove from the heat, and serve immediately, or may be stored in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, warm over low heat until hot.