My daughter Mimi loves this Cornish game hen recipe but only when I make toum alongside it. I’ve included the recipe for this highly addictive garlic dip. She scoops the dip and places the smallest sliver of chicken before she takes a bite. I think she likes the chicken too! Here I serve this with a bulgur and freekeh pilaf. Tabbouleh would also be a wonderful salad to have with the chicken.
6–8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Cornish game hens, approx. 1 lb each
- ½ cup yogurt
- ½ cup crushed toasted walnuts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 4 cloves garlic, mashed
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 Tbsp thyme
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 10 cloves garlic (for Mimi’s Toum)
- 1 tsp sea salt (for Mimi’s Toum)
- juice of 1 lemon (for Mimi’s Toum)
- ½ cup olive oil (for Mimi’s Toum)
- 2 Tbsp water (for Mimi’s Toum)
- juice of 1 lemon (for finishing)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the chicken by cutting out the backbone and pressing on the chest to flatten.
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Rub the marinade all over the chickens, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- To make Mimi’s Toum, place all the ingredients except the oil and the water into a small food processor and puree.
- While the motor is running, pour in the olive oil in a slow steady stream.
- The sauce will come together and look like creamy mayonnaise. Lastly, add the water. Store in the fridge.
- Fire up the barbecue and grill the chickens on medium heat until golden and tender on the inside, around 30 minutes.
- Squeeze some lemon on top of the cooked chicken 2 minutes before removing from the grill.
- Serve immediately with bulgur and freekeh pilaf, a salad and the toum in which to dip the chicken.
