Four Alarm Game Hens
Submitted by bugchild
Grilled Cornish game hens glazed with a fiery red pepper sauce made from roasted peppers, Dijon mustard, and three kinds of hot pepper. Four-alarm heat with a sweet roasted pepper backbone.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThese Cornish game hens get hit with a sauce that earns the “four alarm” name honestly. Roasted red bell peppers are pureed smooth to form a sweet base, then layered with ground red pepper, hot sauce, crushed chili peppers, and Dijon mustard for a glaze that builds heat from multiple directions.
The hens grill split in half, skin side down first, covered, for about 20 minutes before the sauce goes on. That initial cook renders the fat and crisps the skin without the sauce burning. The pepper glaze gets brushed on for the final stretch, just enough time to caramelize and stick without charring.
The roasted red pepper puree is what keeps this from being just “hot for the sake of hot." It adds genuine sweetness and body to the glaze, so the flavor is complex, not just painful.
Pro Tips
- Split the hens evenly through the backbone and breastbone. Uneven halves cook at different rates on the grill.
- Keep the grill covered while cooking. The trapped heat acts like an oven and cooks the hens through without drying them out.
- Brush the sauce on generously in the last 5 minutes only. Applied too early, the sugars in the peppers will burn.
- Use a meat thermometer. The thickest part of the thigh should reach 165°F (74°C).
Variations
- Bake in a 450°F (230°C) oven for 25 minutes, then brush with sauce and bake 10 more for an indoor version.
- Dial back the heat by reducing or skipping the crushed chili peppers for a milder glaze.
- Try this same sauce on grilled chicken thighs or wings.
Ingredients
Directions
Game hens should be about 1 pound each, split lengthwise in half.
Start fire in grill, placing rack 4 inches above coals (see note).
Process red peppers in food processor or blender until smooth; set aside.
Heat oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat; add puréed peppers, mustard, ground red pepper, hot red pepper sauce, and crushed red pepper.
Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and flavors are blended.
Remove from heat; set aside until fire is ready.
Place Rock Cornish game hen halves, skin side down, on hot grill rack; cook, covered with grill cover, 10 minutes.
Turn hens over; cook, covered, another 10 minutes.
Brush hot red pepper sauce liberally over chicken; cook, covered, 5 minutes longer until chicken is cooked through.
Serve when chicken is well glazed, garnishing with herb sprigs.
NOTE: Hens may be baked in oven.
Heat oven to 450℉ (230℃).
Prepare sauce as directed.
Place hen halves, skin side up, in a baking or roasting pan.
Bake 25 minutes until cooked through.
Brush sauce over hens; cook 10 minutes longer until sauce begins to brown.
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