Brick Pressed Cornish Game Hen

My stepdad made this dish for us during one of their last visits. My husband and I spoke about this delicious dish often, so I thought we'd try it ourselves. Cooking the hen under a brick creates a nice, crispy skin, while the meat stays juicy and moist.

2 Cornish Game hens

2 clean bricks, covered in aluminum foil

4 skewers
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp fresh Italian flat leafed parsley, minced
1 tsp fresh basil, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Freshly cracked pepper
EVOO

Pre-heat the grill to medium high heat. Heat the bricks in the grill too.

In a small mixing bowl, combine herbs, garlic and a drizzle of EVOO. Mix well.

Rinse hens and pat dry. Prepare hens by cutting hens down the back; using a sharp knife or cooking shears remove the backbone. Press down hens to flatten. Stick skewers through thigh across the hen and through the other thigh. Repeat across the wings and through side of breasts.

Using your fingers, gently separate skin from breast. Carefully stuff herb mixture under skin; do not puncture skin. Drizzle hens with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

Place birds open side down on grill and top with hot bricks. Grill for 10 minutes. Flip hens, top with bricks and cook for an additional couple minutes, until internal temperature reads 165 degrees.

Remove skewers from hens; cut in halves or quarters. Serve with baked potatoes topped with all the fixings and a few cucumber slices.