Cornish Hens with Smoky Guajillo Salsa
The Guajillo (wha-hee-oh) chile is the most common dried chile in Mexico after the Ancho. The flavor of the Guajillo is distinct, slightly fruity with a strong piney, berry under taste. Guajillo flavors dished easily so a little goes a long way. This chile is between a 2-4 on the heat scale of 1-10. Guajillo, combined with the Passilla and Ancho, form the holy trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces.
Suggested Use:
A mildly hot chile. Use in sauces, salsa, soups and your favorite chile. A little goes a long way.
Ingredients:
Comino-Honey-Glazed Hens:
1 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (comino)
dash liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
1 stick cinnamon
6 Cornish hens, rinsed and dried
1 Tbsp. cornbread crumbs or finely ground corn tortillas
Instructions:
Note: The glaze must be prepared a day ahead of time. The hens should be cooked and served the same day.
To make the glaze: warm the honey over low-medium-low heat and stir in the cumin, liquid smoke, and cinnamon stick. Remove from the heat and let sit at room temperature, covered, for 24 hours. Reserve 1-2 Tbsp. for the guajillo salsa (recipe below).
Preheat oven to 375F. Remove the neck and giblets, if any, from the hens. Place the hens on a rack and roast for about 35 minutes, basting with comino-honey glaze about every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cornbread crumbs (this creates a nice crust) and continue baking until the juices run clear when the birds are pierced, about 10 more minutes. Remove the hens from the oven, reserving the juices for the guajillo salsa.
Let the hens rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
To make the Smoky Guajillo Salsa:
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
12 guajillo chiles (guajillos are reddish-brown, smooth-skinned dried chiles, about 4″ long they are sometimes labeled “cascabel” chiles in stores dried New Mexico red chiles may be substituted)
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned (may include cooking juices from Cornish hens)
4 oz. smoked slab bacon (or 6 thick slices), diced
dash liquid smoke (optional)
salt to taste
1-2 Tbsp. comino honey (see recipe for Cornish hens, above)
Note: The salsa may be prepared a day or more ahead of time.
Roast the garlic cloves on a comal or in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool and peel.
Toast the chiles for a minute or two on a comal over medium-high heat. Transfer to a bowl and cover them with hot water to rehydrate for about 20 minutes. Pour off the water and remove the stems from the chiles. Transfer the chiles to a blender with the roasted garlic, oregano and 1 cup of broth. Blend the ingredients until smooth and put them through a medium strainer.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until all the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon pieces, then pour the strained chile mixture into the bacon fat and cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add 1 more cup of broth and the liquid smoke, and continue cooking until the salsa is reduced by half, about 40 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, thin it by adding a little broth. Finish by stirring in the salt and comino honey. Serve as an accompaniment to Cornish hens.
Recipe featured in the December 2000 issue of Texas Monthly.