| 1 | Here"s a poultry recipe that uses maple syrup and mustard++a combo i sometimes use on bbq pork ribs. |
| 2 | Looks good here. |
| 3 | use a sharp chef"s knife or kitchen shears to cut the backbone and rib cage from the birds. |
| 4 | Starting just to one side of the tail, cut all the way to the other end, right beside the backbone. |
| 5 | Repeat on the other side. |
| 6 | You will now have removed the backbone and the hen will lie more or less flat. |
| 7 | This makes it easy to see the fans of the rib bones. |
| 8 | remove them, too. |
| 9 | Wipe the meat with a damp paper towel and set the hens aside. |
| 10 | put the mustard in a small bowl. |
| 11 | Beat in the lemon juice with a wire whisk, then beat in first the oil, then the maple syrup. |
| 12 | Sprinkle the peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic in a shallow noncorrodible pan or bowl just large enough to hold the flattened hens in a single layer. |
| 13 | pour in about a quarter of the marinade. |
| 14 | Add the meat, cut side down, and pour the remaining marinade over it. |
| 15 | Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 day (or at least a few hours), turning from time to time. |
| 16 | remove the meat from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking. |
| 17 | at cooking time, move the rack so the hens will be in the upper third of the oven; preheat oven to 400f. |
| 18 | drain excess marinade from the hens and arrange them, cut side down, in a shallow noncorrodible roasting pan. |
| 19 | Roast for 20 minutes, baste, raise the heat to 425f and roast for about 20 minutes more. |
| 20 | Do not turn the meat, which should be well browned by the end of the cooking time. |
| 21 | serve garnished with the watercress. |
| 22 | serves 2. |
| 23 | from "the new england epicure" by leslie land. |
| 24 | from the san francisco chronicle, 3/1/89. |
