Spiced Tomato Cornish Game Hens in a Clay Pot

 Spiced Tomato Cornish Game Hens Cooked in a Clay Pot, 

pictured with Stir-Fried Greens

Here is yet another take on cooking with a Clay Pot.  This time I used two 24 oz (that's 1 1/2 pound) Cornish Game Hens, which fit easily in my clay pot (see above).  To spice them up I used 8 whole, peeled garlic cloves and 2 TBS fresh ginger, all chopped to be about 1/4 the size of a garlic clove.  Here is the rest of the recipe, serves 3-4 adults, or, in our case, 2 adults and 2 kids with some leftovers.

2 Cornish game Hens, 1.5 pounds each

8 cloves of garlic, peeled, 4 per hen

2 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and chopped into small pieces (1/4 size of the garlic cloves)

pepper to taste

6 cloves, 3 per hen

1 large can of chunky tomato sauce

To prepare the clay pot, soak it in water for 10 minutes, do not preheat oven, as you want to be careful not to crack the pot.

Split the spices evenly between the two chickens.  Pour the tomato sauce in the bottom of the clay pot, it should not fill more than 1/3 of the pot.  Next, place the hens in the sauce, breasts up.  Use 3 cloves per hen, pushing them into the breasts.  Place the garlic and ginger over the breasts and pepper them to taste, more if you like spicy, less if not. 

Turn oven to 350 F Bake and cook the hens for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a clay pot with a lid, or until they are done.  Because the clay pot holds the moisture in, it is unlikely that you will overcook the hens.  Usually more time equals more tender meat.

I served the Spiced Tomato Cornish Hens with:

stir fried greens (collard, mustard, kale, and spinach) and 

fried red potatoes and cauliflower.

Use some of the chunky tomato sauce marinade as a sauce on the hens.