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Recipeother Vegetarian

Grilled Game Hens with Moroccan Spices

posting for zwt6, a recipe from steven raichlen's "the bbq bible". heres a dish for the poultry lovers that's fairly bursting with moroccan spice flavors. cumin, ginger, paprika and cilantro combine to transform a commonplace bird into a flame-cooked triumph. time doesn't include the marinating time.

complex12 ingredients12 preparation steps
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Ingredients

  • rock cornish game hens
  • onion
  • italian parsley
  • fresh lemon juice
  • fresh cilantro
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • ground cumin
  • paprika
  • ground ginger
  • white pepper
  • lemon wedge

Preparation

  1. 1remove and dicard the fat just inside the body cavities of the game hens
  2. 2remove any packages of giblets
  3. 3rinse the hens , inside and out , under cold running water , then drain and blot dry , inside and out , with paper towels
  4. 4cut each game hen lenghtwise in half with poultry shears
  5. 5place birds in a large , deep nonreactive bowl or baking dish and set aside while you make the marinade
  6. 6combine the onion , parsley , cilantro , lemon juice , oil , salt , cumin , paprika , ginger and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to mix
  7. 7pour the mixture over the game hens , turning them to thoroughly coat
  8. 8cover and let marinade in the refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours , turning the birds occasionally
  9. 9preheat the grill , one area for high heat and another area for medium heat
  10. 10when ready to cook , oil the grill grate
  11. 11remove the game hens from the marinade and arrange , skin side down , on the grate over the hotter section of the grill 3-5 minutes and then move to medium heat for another 5-7 minutes using tongs turn the hens over and onto the high heat area and cook 3-5 minutes and then move over to the medium heat and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes or until juices run clear
  12. 12transfer the hens to serving plates and serve immediately , garnished with lemon wedges