WITH YOUR WINE

Cornish hens with lemon and balsamic vinegar

This is about as simple as dinner gets, and uses the balsamic vinegar that most of us have, but have forgotten about. Cutting the hen’s backbone is much easier than it sounds, and the broiler in a toaster oven works well. The hens and a well-made pinot noir, like the King Estate, are a nice match.

Serves four, 30-40 minutes (adapted from Mark Bittman)

2 Cornish hens

2 lemons

2 Tbsp best quality balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat a broiler and adjust a rack so it’s 4 inches from the heat source.

2. Use a sturdy pair of scissors, and cut the hen at the backbone. It should cut without any trouble at all. Flatten each hen and put them in a broiling or roasting pan, skin side down. Liberally sprinkle the exposed surfaces with salt and pepper. Slice one of the lemons as thinly as possible, and put the slices on the hens.

3. Broil for 10 minutes or until the lemon is browned and the hens appear cooked (they’ll start to brown). Flip the birds over (including the lemon slices) and season the skin side with salt and pepper. Return to the broiler and cook for 10 minutes until the skin is nicely browned.

4. Pull the hens out. Slice the remaining lemon, and put it on the hens. Put it back under the broiler, and cook five minutes until the lemons start to brown. Drizzle with the balsamic and serve.

JEFF SIEGEL’S WEEKLY WINE REVIEWS appear every Wednesday on oakcliff.advocatemag.com