Ingredients:
- 1 whole Cornish Hen (8 oz, I use two hens to feed the family)
- salt to taste
- generous pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp of coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
- 2 Tbsp of oil
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
Wash the hen thoroughly. Towel dry it, put it breast side up. Making sure that the hen remains in one piece, use a sharp knife and slice down the middle of the breastbone in order to separate the rib cage. Turn the hen over and using a meat tenderizer flatten the chicken nicely.
Grind coriander seeds, mix it with cumin and black pepper. Liberally rub the hen with salt first. Once that’s done thoroughly rub the hen with ready spice mixture from both sides.
Heat the skillet on medium-high heat, put the oil in the skillet and heat a little more. Place the hen on the skillet, cover the hen with a sturdy plate or a smaller lid (just to cover the hen), press it nicely with something heavy. If you have those special kitchen weights, that’s great. If you do not, you can use anything around you. If you have a big clean rock you can use that as well. Or you can simply fill a kettle with water and gently press it on top of the plate. The idea is to give the hen enough press to keep it flat, once the cooking time is over.
Flip the hen every 2 minutes for the first 16 minutes. Every time, you will need to take off the weight and the plate to flip the chicken. So, use caution, do not get burnt. Also, watch the temperature. If you feel like your hen is getting burnt, turn the heat down a little. Everyone’s stove top is different.
Once the 15 minutes are up, the chicken should have a nice golden brown color and have a nice crust. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add just a little bit of water and cover the skillet with a lid. Keep the chicken in the skillet for another 5-8 minutes on each side.
You can serve the hen with vegetables, rice or mashed potatoes. We enjoy our chicken without any sides, but with a nice home-made tomato sauce. Trust me, this is the best way to consume the hen!
Ingredients for the sauce:
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced or nicely chopped
- 4 Tbsp of cilantro chopped
- 1-2 cups of tomato juice
- 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- pinch salt if needed
Mix everything well and enjoy the hen with a warm bread dipped in the sauce!
http://lola-elise.com/recipes/chicken-tabaka-recipe
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