Tandoori Game Hens

Tandoori seems to be the new, hot "ethnic" flavor emerging in the food world. And while I don't own the equipment to make truly authentic tandoori, I do have the spices available. These game hens are excellent--unlike some marinades, the spices in this recipe actually are detectable in the meat, and the hens turned out moist and incredibly delicious.

The hens do require an overnight (or at least 5-6 hour) marinade. Some plain yogurt (Greek is preferred, as it's thicker and tangier) and a blend of spices is what you need. There's paprika, garam masala, paprika, cayenne pepper, and coriander.

Scoop the yogurt into a bowl or a large plastic bag.

Add the spices. The first one is garam masala, which is actually a blend of spices. The blends vary on who makes them. Find one you like, and stick with it. It's great to have on hand.

Paprika is next.

Then coriander seeds. For maximum flavor, crush them slightly before adding them, or toast in a pan over low heat until the seeds start to smell pungent.

Turmeric will add some color.

And of course cayenne will add a bit of spice.

And never forget salt and pepper.

Garlic and ginger will be the final ingredients in the marinade. I used this nifty garlic and ginger paste. But if you can't find it in your store, just chop some garlic and ginger until they make a rough paste.

If you've got a kid, this would be a great time for them to help. Just have them squish around the contents of the (closed) bag, to distribute the spices throughout the yogurt.

Grab your game hens.

Remove them from the package, rinse them well, and then pat dry.

Then toss them into the marinade bag. I was able to fit both hens in one large bag.

Put the bag in a large bowl (to avoid cross-contaminating your fridge) and let the hens marinate at least 5 hours and ideally overnight.

When you're ready to roast the hens, remove them from the marinade bag, and discard the bag.

Use paper towels to lightly pat them dry, and place them on a baking sheet or a roasting pan.

To help them cook evenly (and from the bottom from becoming soggy), I roasted mine on top of a heavy-duty cooling rack set on a cookie sheet.

Fold the wing tips underneath the hens. This will keep the tips from burning.

Now to stuff the hens. I used lemon, ginger, garlic, and bay.

Stuff everything in the hens, dividing the stuffing ingredients equally between the two.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon over the top of the hens.

Use kitchen twine or silicone roasting bands to secure the hens' legs together. Don't bind them too tight--just enough to keep them together.

Pour or brush some melted butter over the hens. Use clarified butter for more authenticity.

Pop the hens in a 425F oven for about 50 minutes-1 hour.

They will look and smell great!

The meat will be lightly flavored, and the yogurt marinade will ensure it's moist and delicious. If you want something different from the ordinary roasted poultry, definitely give Tandoori Game Hens a try!

Recipe: Tandoori Game Hens

1 c. Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. garam masala

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 heaping tablespoon garlic and ginger paste (or 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp. minced ginger)

1/2 lemon, quartered

1-inch knob ginger, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf, halved

4-6 garlic clobes

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. melted butter (clarified, if you've got it)

Hot Wings

I love the hot wings from a certain famous chicken place. However, they're really easy to make at home, too! I was craving wings and decided to make some for dinner. These wings are just a bit spicy (although you can make them as spicy as you want) and incredibly crisp. Would you believe me if I told you that at one point I thought Mr. Kim Chee was eating an apple, not a chicken wing? True story.

You'll need, of course, some chicken wings. I had all drummies in the package I bought (I prefer the flats, while the Mr. loves the drummies.) Wash them off and pat them dry. Then toss them into a big plastic bag.

The wings are going to marinate in some hot sauce. That's what makes them spicy but still crispy. I chose some Chipotle Garlic hot sauce, so it wasn't the hottest out there. If you love your lips to tingle, choose something hotter.

The amount of time your wings marinate matters, too. Mine soaked for maybe 30 minutes-1 hour. Overnight (or up to a full day) would infuse the wings with the maximum amount of spice.

When you're ready to make your wings, pull them out of the fridge. Let them sit out at room temperature to take off some of the chill.

You'll want two bowls for your wings. The first one will have flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Add a kick of cayenne if you want even more spice.

The second bowl will have buttermilk.

I seasoned the buttermilk with some ranch seasoning I had on hand.

Conversely, you could skip the buttermilk and use ranch dressing (maybe thinned out with a little milk) instead.

So, take a wing out of the hot sauce. Coat it in the flour, and shake off all the excess.

Move the floured wing to the buttermilk.

Then move it back to the flour.

Fry the wings in at least two inches of hot oil, over medium heat. Let them cook for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

And be sure not to crowd the pot, or you'll bring down the temperature of the oil and the chicken will be greasy.

I let the wings drain on newspaper or paper towels. That allows the excess grease to drain out.














Be sure you've got a glass of milk or a cold beer nearby! These wings will leave your lips tingling and your stomach feeling satisfied.

Recipe: Hot Wings
1 1/2 lbs. chicken drummies
1/3 c. hot sauce
1 c. flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 c. buttermilk
ranch seasoning (optional), or salt and pepper to taste

oil, for frying


Rinse drummies and pat dry. Marinate in hot sauce for at least 30 minutes and as long as 3 hours.

In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a shallow dish, combine buttermilk and ranch seasoning.

Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-duty pan over medium-high heat. (Flour should bubble when sprinkled into the oil.)

Remove drummies from hot sauce; dip in flour. Shake off excess flour.

Dip drummies into buttermilk. Let excess drain off.

Dip drummies into flour. Shake off excess flour.

Carefully place drummies in the hot oil. Fry for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on newspaper.

Gingerbread

I have not had enough gingerbread in my life. A nice, thick slice of spicy gingerbread, with a drizzle of frosting, maybe spread with some apple butter and accompanied by a cup of hot cider...mmm. This recipe makes just enough for one loaf, and is so quick and easy that you'll hardly remember it took any effort at all.

You'll need a stick of softened butter and some brown sugar.

Cream them together until the butter is light and fluffy.

In an ideal world, I would have done that. But I got distracted and cracked the egg in before doing so.

It worked out fine. Just be more attentive than me, and do things in the right order.

Once you've followed the (correct!) instructions, add the molasses. Usually I would say pour the molasses into a greased measuring cup. But I had just a cup left in the bottle, so I poured it right in.

To get the rest of the molasses out of the bottle, I added some water and shook. You need water later in the recipe anyway, so if you're at the bottom of your bottle like me, just add your premeasured cup to the bottle and shake it around. You get water that looks like this. But you've also gotten all the molasses. And you won't have to throw away a molasses-coated bottle, which I'm sure would turn your kitchen to ant central in about five seconds. Anyway.

Set the molasses water aside for now.

Back in the mixing bowl ...

... scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed evenly. Stir until all the molasses is distributed evenly throughout the batter.

Add the flour (a bit at a time, to help your batter out.)

Then the baking soda.

Here are your gingerbread spices.

I wanted to add a bit of minced candied ginger too, but I couldn't find any. If you have some and want to add it, a tablespoon would be lovely.

Add the spices to the bowl.

Now you can nab your water. Slowly pour it in (not all at once--just a bit at a time.)

Be sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl!

Steal a container of applesauce from your Kid and crack it open before she notices.

Dump it in quick!

I would never hear the end of it if she caught me. "Why are you using my snack? That's my snack ... " Nevermind that I'm making a way better snack with this snack ...

Use the butter wrapper to butter a loaf pan. Or just use cooking spray.

Yup. I used salted butter. For baking! Gasp!

It was all I had. I just added less salt to make up for it.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Then toss it in a 350F oven for about an hour.

When a toothpick inserted into the center of the gingerbread comes out clean, that means it can come out!

Let the loaf pan cool for, say, 15 minutes before you try to turn the gingerbread out. Otherwise, the heat and moisture might cause some breakage.

Now that it's out and cooling, you can make the frosting!

Okay. This doesn't really need frosting. But I find the contrast of white frosting and brown gingerbread so, so pretty, and leaving it plain just seems boring.

Just a little butter will kick off the frosting-making. Microwave it for 20 seconds to melt it.

When it's melted, dump in the powdered sugar and use a small whisk or a fork to lump them together.

Add milk or cream in small increments until you get the consistency you're looking for.

Like this. I added a bit more afterward.

And don't forget to flavor with vanilla!

That's why I added a little more cream after the vanilla. Vanilla extract is a liquid, too, so adding it would thin the frosting out as well. I didn't want it to get too runny.

See how smooth and nice this is? :)

When the frosting is the consistency you want, just pour it onto your gingerbread.

Then cut yourself a slice.

This was The Kid's slice. I was a nice mom and gave her the frosting-covered heel.












Do I really have to tell you the next step? ;)

Recipe: Gingerbread

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1 c. molasses
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/6 tsp. (just a pinch!) cardamom
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. minced candied ginger (optional)

1 c. water
1/2 c. applesauce


Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined. Add molasses and beat until combined.

Add flour and baking soda slowly, until completely combined. Add spices.

Slowly add water, until completely combined. Scrape down the bowl!

Add applesauce and stir until combined.

Pour into a well-greased loaf pan (or a 9" cake pan) and bake for 350F for 1 hour. Let cool completely before drizzling with frosting.


Recipe: Gingerbread Frosting

1 tbsp. melted butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp. milk or cream

Combine all ingredients. Drizzle over gingerbread and allow to harden.