Hen Party

There comes a time in the rhythm of home entertaining when a little festivity is in order.

But entertaining is always a balancing act; a festive meal should elevate the dining experience to something special, and at the same time take heed of the constraints of time, health-awareness and cost. It’s not as hard as it sounds.

The following menu addresses all these challenges, creating a special dinner party for six. The meal features Ginger-Glazed Game Hens With Cranberry-Rice Stuffing surrounded by a wreath of colorful fall vegetables, precooked until slightly crisp, then reheated at the last minute.

For dessert, we’ll forsake the health stance (fresh berries are always a safe backup for those who don’t indulge at all, but when push comes to shove, there are never many in that camp) and serve a warm Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake with a small dollop of cinnamon whipped cream. A chilled Muscat wine would be an elegant touch.

For a first course, a salad of mixed field greens with sliced mushrooms or artichokes in a light herbed vinaigrette, sprinkled with freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese or a simple mushroom soup, would be more than ample.

Poke around the cupboards and drawers for your finest china, glassware and silver. Lovely linens--tablecloth or place mats--and large, freshly starched napkins make a table festive without being overwhelmingly formal.

Don’t forget flowers. Or tall candles, soft music, good wine (a chilled Rodney Strong 1990 Gewurztraminer works especially well with the menu). And there it is, a remarkably festive evening.

Cornish hens deliver a lot of festivity for relatively little time and money. It’s important to present them whole, so look for hens that weigh no more than 22 ounces each. Here they are stuffed with a crunchy, flavorful, low-fat wild rice mixture, but white or brown rice will work well too. The stuffing can be made two days ahead but filling the hens must be done the day of serving them; be sure to keep them refrigerated until they go into the hot oven. The glaze burns easily--it’s best to brush it on in the last 10 minutes of roasting.

GINGER-GLAZED GAME HENS WITH CRANBERRY-RICE STUFFING

6 (22-ounce) game hens, thawed if frozen

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Dried Cranberry-Rice Stuffing

3/4 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon finely minced ginger root

Dash cayenne pepper

Medley of Fall Vegetables

Cilantro or fresh basil sprigs

Wash hens well and pat dry with paper towels. Season cavities lightly with salt and pepper. Stuff hens with Dried Cranberry-Rice Stuffing. Overlap skin to close opening. Tie legs together with string. Place hens in foil-lined, large shallow roasting pan. Season skin lightly. (Can be prepared several hours in advance and refrigerated.)

Place pan on rack in lower third of oven and roast hens at 450 degrees until lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes, or slightly longer if chilled. (Don’t worry if birds appear dry on roasting, glaze will moisten them.)

For glaze, combine marmalade, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne pepper in food processor until as smooth as possible. Lightly brush glaze over surface of hens, reserving remaining glaze for final brushing. Roast until well browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning. Remove from oven. Using sharp paring knife, carefully slit skin and meat between legs and thighs. Brush reserved glaze over hens, especially over these openings so flavor permeates meat. Cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, place hens in center of warm large dinner platter. Surround with Medley of Fall Vegetables. Garnish with cluster of cilantro. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Dried Cranberry-Rice Stuffing

2 teaspoons oil

3 small stalks celery, diced 1/4-inch

2 medium onions, finely minced

Grated zest of 2 oranges

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 cups cooked wild, brown or long grain rice (these freeze well, easy to keep on hand)

Heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. Add celery, onions, orange zest, dried cranberries and salt. Season to taste with pepper. Stir-fry until heated through and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add rice. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered airtight.

The garlic and ginger broth enhances this particular mix of fall vegetables. It’s possible to cook the vegetables in advance (keeping them a little crisp), adding the broccoli in the reheating. Sugar snap peas can be substituted for the broccoli.

Medley of Fall Vegetables

1 pound, 4 ounces broccoli

2 medium yellow squash

2 medium zucchini

1 tablespoon oil

1 small leek (white parts only), thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

1 large sweet red pepper, diced 1/3-inch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon sugar

Dash cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon julienne fresh basil or cilantro leaves

Cut broccoli into florets. Blanch until tender-crisp. Then drain. Split yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise and cut into 1/3-inch diagonal slices.

Heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. Add leek, garlic, ginger, yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper and salt. Stir-fry until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add broth and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, until squash are just tender, about 3 minutes (slightly less if reheating later. Can be made 1 day ahead, refrigerated and reheated.)

Add broccoli to hot mixture. Toss gently to combine. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes, tossing often to distribute heat. Add cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt. Drain off any excess liquid. Toss with julienne basil. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

The cake layer here is very thin so the apples, coated with melted brown sugar, take center stage. Consider this cake for brunch as well as a dinner dessert.

CARAMEL UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE CAKE

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

5 large tart apples (about 2 1/4 pounds total), peeled, split, cored and thinly sliced

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla

Cinnamon-flavored whipped cream, optional

Grease 9-inch wide, 2 1/2-inch deep springform. Wrap foil around outside base of springform to prevent any leakage.

Spread brown sugar evenly on bottom of prepared pan. Press sugar down with hands. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Scatter 2 tablespoons butter, divided into little bits, over sugar. Arrange apple slices over sugar, overlapping around edge of pan. Fill in center with another overlapping circle of apples. Arrange remaining slices evenly over, covering any spaces between slices. Compact gently with hands.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cream remaining 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar until light. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well (it’s okay for mixture to appear curdled). Add sifted dry ingredients, mixing until smooth.

Spread batter carefully over apples to edge of pan. Place springform on baking sheet for easy handling. Place pan on rack in center of oven and bake at 350 degrees until well browned and wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes.

Remove ring from springform. Invert cake onto serving plate and leave bottom of pan on cake 10 more minutes. Lift bottom off carefully. Cool 1 hour before serving. (Cake can be baked 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, well covered. To reheat, warm in 200-degree oven about 15 minutes.) Serve warm with small dollop of cinnamon-flavored whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.