Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 450-F degrees and prepare a large shallow pan for roasting the game hens with a light oiling. The pan must be large enough to accommodate as many birds as you will be serving, leaving a bit of space between each.

To prepare the Cornish Game Hens, rinse them well inside and out and dry with paper toweling. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper inside the cavity of each hen.

To each bird, add a small piece of bay leaf, a sliver of garlic, a clove, a slice of onion, half a lemon slice, and a sprig of celery leaves and parsley. Tie the legs and wings close to the body of the hens with butchers twine, and set each bird in the prepared roasting pan as you go. Lay a half strip of raw bacon over the breast of each bird.

Add the quartered onions, giblets, chicken stock, and vermouth to the roasting pan around the hens.

Roast for 15 minutes at 450-F degrees, then reduce the heat to 350-F degrees and continue roasting until the game hens are tender, usually about 45 minutes to an hour. Baste occasionally with the liquid in the roasting pan and make sure to remove the bacon strips during the last 15 minutes of roasting.

Meanwhile, prepare the cranberry gravy by heating the water, vinegar, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan until boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes more. Strain the liquid and return it to the saucepan.

Add the cranberry sauce and heat through, stirring until blended.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

To finish the preparation, remove the butchers twine, place the cooked birds on a large warm platter, and return to the oven or cover with a tent of foil.

Strain the roasting stock into a large measuring cup, adding water if necessary to make 3 cups of stock. Pour the liquid into the cranberry gravy mixture and bring it to a boil.

Blend together one-quarter cup of cold water with the cornstarch and add it to the gravy, stirring together until well blended.

Bring the cranberry gravy to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve the gravy on the side of the roasted game hens.

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