Photo: Jerk Cornish Hens Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch scallions, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, quartered and seeded
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
- 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, stemmed (remove seeds to tame heat)
- Kosher salt
- 4 Cornish game hens (1 1/2 to 2 pounds each), cut in half
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Combine the scallions, bell pepper, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, thyme, allspice, ginger, brown sugar, chile pepper and 1 tablespoon salt in a food processor; pulse to make a thick sauce. Refrigerate 1/4 cup for serving.
Season the hens all over with salt and pepper; poke a few holes into the bone side. Rub 1 cup of the jerk sauce all over the hens in a large bowl or pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Preheat a grill to medium; prepare for direct and indirect grilling: On a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side. For a gas grill, turn off one of the burners after preheating. Remove the hens from the marinade, letting any excess drip off; place skin-side up on the cooler side of the grill (position the legs closer to the fire). Cover and cook until the hens are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Baste the hens with any extra jerk sauce, then turn them over to the direct-heat side of the grill; cook, uncovered, until the skin is dark brown and the meat is cooked through but still moist, 5 to 10 more minutes. (A thermometer inserted into the thickest part should read 160 degrees.) Set the hens aside for 5 minutes, then serve with the reserved jerk sauce.
Photography by Con Poulos
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By LovableLeaLea
Insane
on August 30, 2012
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This was so awesome. The grill part was a little tricky considering I was using a charcoal grill, but I followed the directions so it turned out perfect. The hens were very tendering and the juice was running down our fingers. I used habenaro peppers instead of the scotch bonnet because I couldn't find it....I saw it today in a store called fresh world.I'll be shopping there for all my ingredients from this moment forward. Definitely try this.
By sb95
on September 19, 2011
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Absolutely great dish and easy to make. We used a single habanero, and the heat was perfect. The sauce is very versitile and could be used for many other purposes such as shrimp or pork tenderloin. We served it with baked sweet potatoes to counter any heat that the chickens might have had.
By super yummy
Kingwood, TX
on July 07, 2011
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This is a great, easy recipe with fantastic results. Couldn't find a scotch bonnet so I subbed a habenero. I was a little worried about the heat factor with such a hot pepper but the marinade/sauce was perfect! Even my daughter who HATES spicy food enjoyed it. Cooked the hens indirectly the entire time allowing time to relax and they turned out perfectly browned and juicy!
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