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Recipes

Thai-Curried Game Hens

By Annabel LangbeinPhotography by Brian Leatart

3.6

(5)

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Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

3

tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil, divided

2

teaspoons (about) Thai red curry paste

1

tablespoon tomato paste

1

cup canned unsweetened coconut milk*

1

cup low-salt chicken broth

2

5.95-ounce cans straw mushrooms, drained

3

kaffir lime leaves or 2 teaspoons grated lime peel

2

tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

1

tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar

6

cherry tomatoes, quartered

2

1 1/4-pound Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen, halved lengthwise, backbones removed

Fresh basil leaves

Small fresh or dried red chiles** (optional garnish)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and tomato paste and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add coconut milk, broth, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and brown sugar; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add cherry tomatoes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

    Step 2

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper. Add hens to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer hens to 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour sauce over. Bake uncovered until hens are cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer hens to shallow serving bowl; tent with foil. Skim fat from sauce. Pour sauce into large skillet; boil 5 minutes. Pour sauce over hens. Garnish with basil and chiles, if desired.

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