Smoked Raspberry Cornish Hens

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Marinade

• 4 Cornish game hens 1- 1.5 pounds (500 –750 g)
• 1 cup red raspberries (250ml)
• ½ cup rice wine vinegar (125ml)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar (15ml)
• The juice of 2 limes
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (45ml)
• ¾ cup olive oil (190ml)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing

• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 small white onions
• 2 lemons sliced thin
• ½ cup mint leaves (125 ml)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Other

• Butcher twine
• 6 cups (1250ml) mesquite wood chips.

Directions

1. Soak 4 cups (1 litre) of wood chips in water for 1 hour.
2. To make a smoke pouch, squeeze excess water from chips.  Divide the wet chips over 2 pieces of aluminum foil, add 1 cup of dry chips (250ml) to each and mix well.  Fold the foil up to make 2 sealed pouches.  Using a fork poke holes in both sides of the pouches.
3. Rinse game hens under cold water and pat dry.
4. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium size bowl.  Set aside ½ cup (125ml) of marinade for basting.
5. Place the game hens in 2 large sealable bags.  Divide marinade between the 2 baggies and toss to coat the games hens completely.
6. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 4 hours.
7. Chop onions and celery into small ½ inch (8 mm) pieces.  Slice lemons thin and place in a bowl.
8. Remove hens from marinade and pat dry.  Season the cavity and outside of the bird with salt and pepper.
9. Stuff the cavity of the hens equally with onions, celery, sliced lemons and the fresh mint leaves. Bind the hens securely with butcher twine.
10. Remove one side of the barbeque grill.  Preheat the barbeque to 400º F/204ºC, only on the side with the removed grill.  Place the smoke pouch directly over the high heat source and close the lid.  Wait for smoke. Once smoke is achieved reduce temperature to 225ºF/107º C or low heat.
11. Oil grill.
12. Place hens on cool side of the grill and close lid.  The hens will take 1.5 – 2 hours to cook.  Change the smoke pouch half way through cooking time.  At that time baste the hens with reserved raspberry marinade.  When hens have 10 minutes cooking time left, baste again.  Remove hens from the barbeque and place on a tray.
13. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.