Ingredients

• 4 stalks fresh lemongrass, outer leaves discarded and root ends trimmed
• 2/3 cup coriander, well washed, chopped (roots or stems)
• 1/2 cup shallot, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, large
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup asian fish sauce, preferably naam pla
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred
• 3 (1 1/2 lb) Cornish hens, butterflied (backbone and breastbone removed)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup rice vinegar or 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, large, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Marinade: thinly slice lower 6 inches of lemongrass stalks, discarding remainder of stalks.

2. In a food processor or blender, finely grind together sliced lemongrass, coriander, shallot, garlic, and ginger root.

3. Add brown sugar, curry, pepper, salt, fish sauce, and 1 cup of the coconut milk and puree.

4. Quarter each hen and divide the hen between 2 large plastic zip lock bags and divide the marinade and seal the bags, pressing out all air.

5. Put bags in a large shallow dish and marinate hens, chilled, turning bag once or twice overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and line a large shallow roasting pan with foil.

7. Remove hens from the marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange hens, skin side up, in the prepared pan. Roast 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

8. While hens are roasting, in a small saucepan, combine reserved marinade and remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and cook sauce at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, and strain through a sieve into another small saucepan to keep warm.

9. Serve hens with the marinade sauce and/or the Sweet Chili Sauce.

10. For the Sweet Chili sauce, in a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature. Sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and kept chilled, covered. Serve at room temperature though. (Yield: 1 1/2 cups).