Marinated Cornish Game Hens With Sweet Chili Sauce

Submitted by Oolala

"Sounds different with an Asian flavor. From the 1995 Pingry School Cookbook. Submitted by the Welch Family."

 

• Ready In: 8hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 5-6

ingredients

• For the marinade

• 4 stalks fresh lemongrass, outer leaves discarded and root ends trimmed
• 2⁄3 cup coriander, well washed, chopped (roots or stems)
• 1⁄2 cup shallot, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, large
• 1⁄4 cup fresh ginger, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup asian fish sauce, preferably naam pla
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred

• Hens

• 3 (1 1/2 lb) Cornish hens, butterflied (backbone and breastbone removed)

• Sweet chili sauce

• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2⁄3 cup rice vinegar or 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, large, minced
• 3⁄4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

directions

1. Marinade: thinly slice lower 6 inches of lemongrass stalks, discarding remainder of stalks.
2. In a food processor or blender, finely grind together sliced lemongrass, coriander, shallot, garlic, and ginger root.
3. Add brown sugar, curry, pepper, salt, fish sauce, and 1 cup of the coconut milk and puree.
4. Quarter each hen and divide the hen between 2 large plastic zip lock bags and divide the marinade and seal the bags, pressing out all air.
5. Put bags in a large shallow dish and marinate hens, chilled, turning bag once or twice overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and line a large shallow roasting pan with foil.
7. Remove hens from the marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange hens, skin side up, in the prepared pan. Roast 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
8. While hens are roasting, in a small saucepan, combine reserved marinade and remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and cook sauce at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, and strain through a sieve into another small saucepan to keep warm.
9. Serve hens with the marinade sauce and/or the Sweet Chili Sauce.
10. For the Sweet Chili sauce, in a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature. Sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and kept chilled, covered. Serve at room temperature though. (Yield: 1 1/2 cups).