Game Birds
Cooking MethodGrilling
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish hens, or 6 quail, butterflied*
- Teriyaki
- 4 Oranges
- 1 Lemon
- Finely chopped or pressed Garlic to taste
- Black Pepper
Instructions
for two. You'll also need two basting brushes and two plastic rubbish bags. Juice the oranges and put the juice in one of the rubbish bags. Grate the peel off of half of one of the oranges and add it to the juice. Juice the lemon and grate the peel off of about a quarter of it, and add both the juice and the peel to the orange juice and peel. Put in half of the birds. Mix the teriyaki, garlic, and black pepper in a rubbish bag and add the rest of the birds. Allow to sit in the fridge at least four hours, although overnight is better. I've always cooked them on the grill, although they could be cooked in the oven, I suppose. Baste regularly, turning once, until done, usually about 25 minutes depending on the size of the birds. There are many variations to this recipe. Try apple juice with freshly ground fennel in it. Or put some small pieces of cayenne pepper in either the citrus or teryaki marinade. I generally serve half of each style of bird to myself and my guest, so both get the citrus and the salt. To butterfly birds: Place them breast down on a hard surface and apply pressure until you feel the ribs pop. Then take the kitchen shears and cut them down the middle of the back. They'll lay out flatly then.