—————————–FRESH CURRY POWDER—————————– 1/4 ts Fennel seeds
1/4 ts Coriander seeds
3 Cardamom pods, seeds of
Ground ginger to taste Cinnamon to taste Cumin seed to taste 1/4 ts Dried red chiles (to 1/2 ts)
-crushed 1/4 ts Turmeric
———————————MAIN DISH——————————— 2 Rock Cornish game hens
-(1 lb. each) 1/4 c Corn syrup
1 tb Prepared mustard
-(Dijon or spicy) 1 sm Garlic clove
-peeled and finely chopped Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper -to taste Juice of 1/2 lemon -(reserve other half) To make the curry powder, grind the spices together until they resemble a coarse powder, either with a mortar and pestle or in a clean electric coffee grinder. If the hens are frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. In small bowl, combine curry powder with syrup, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut reserved lemon half in half again; place inside hens. If desired, truss (tie or skewer) hens, to secure legs. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil, dull side facing up, for easy cleanup. Place hens in pan and brush with some of the glaze. Reserve remainder of glaze for frequent basting. Bake in oven 1 hour or longer, until juices run clear (meat should still be juicy.) Baste often for crispy, golden skin. Halfway through baking, cover legs and wing tips with foil to prevent scorching. Serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables. From “Nancy Enright’s Canadian Herb Cookbook” by Nancy Enright. Toronto: James Lorimer and Company, 1985. Pg. 34. ISBN 0-88862-788-2.