Barbecued Vietnamese 5 Spice Cornish Game Hens

The winning recipe for 1990 in the san francisco chronicle, by joyce jue.

Steps

For hens: halve the hens through the breast.

Flatten the breasts with the palm of your hand.

In a mortar or food processor , pound or mince the garlic , shallots and sugar.

Add the salt , pepper , five-spice powder , fish sauce , soy sauce and sherry.

Mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture over the hens.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare a fire in a barbecue.

Let the coals burn down to medium-hot.

Set the hens skin-side down on the rack and grill over medium-hot coals for 15 minutes.

Turn and grill for 15 minutes longer , or until they are thoroughly cooked and the skin is crisp and browned.

Serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce.

For dipping sauce: in a mortar , pound the garlic , chile pepper and sugar into a paste.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the fish sauce , lime juice and water.

Stir to blend.

Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes , or until ready to serve.

Strain into dipping saucers.

Yields about 3 / 4 cup.

Ingredients

cornish hens, garlic cloves, shallots, sugar, salt, fresh ground black pepper, five-spice powder, fish sauce, light soy sauce, dry sherry, fresh chili peppers, fresh lime juice, water