Thai-Curried Game Hens
A flavorful Thai-inspired dish featuring Cornish game hens simmered in a rich curry sauce made with coconut milk, red curry paste, and aromatic kaffir lime leaves. The hens are first browned then baked in the fragrant sauce until tender.
Ingredients
- •3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil, divided
- •2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- •1 tablespoon tomato paste
- •1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- •1 cup low-salt chicken broth
- •2 cans straw mushrooms
- •3 leaves kaffir lime leaves
- •2 tablespoons fish sauce
- •1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
- •6 whole cherry tomatoes
- •2 whole Cornish game hens
- •4 sprigs Fresh basil leaves
- •2 whole red chiles
Cooking Instructions
- 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.
10 min
- 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.
50 min
- 3.
*Sold in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.
- 4.
**Use any type of small fresh or dried chiles you find in the produce section or spice section of the supermarket.