MARINATED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH SWEET CHILI SAUCE

Marinated Cornish Game Hens With Sweet Chili Sauce image

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

Provided by Oolala

Categories Poultry

Time 8h30m

Yield 5-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

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

Steps:

Marinade: thinly slice lower 6 inches of lemongrass stalks, discarding remainder of stalks.
In a food processor or blender, finely grind together sliced lemongrass, coriander, shallot, garlic, and ginger root.
Add brown sugar, curry, pepper, salt, fish sauce, and 1 cup of the coconut milk and puree.
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.
Put bags in a large shallow dish and marinate hens, chilled, turning bag once or twice overnight.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and line a large shallow roasting pan with foil.
Remove hens from the marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange hens, skin side up, in the prepared pan. Roast 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
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.
Serve hens with the marinade sauce and/or the Sweet Chili Sauce.
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).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 850.9, Fat 33.4, SaturatedFat 20.7, Cholesterol 371.8, Sodium 1294.2, Carbohydrate 51.7, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 41.3, Protein 85.7