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1. Wash and pat dry the game hens. Make certain the insides have been well drained. Sprinkle the five-spice seasoning mixture all over the insides of the hens.
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2. Mix the plum sauce, bean sauce, hoisin sauce, and wine in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave oven just a few seconds, if needed, to make the sauce of a good spreading consistency.
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3. Brush part of the sauce inside the cavities of the hens and the remainder all over the outside. Let set from 6 to 24 hours.
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4. Just before cooking, tie the legs and wings as close to the body as j possible. Mix the soy sauce and syrup in a small bowl and brush the birds liberally with it.
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5. Place the hens, breast-side down, on a microwave roasting rack or on overturned saucers placed in a baking dish. Have the tail ends toward the center of the arrangement.
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6. Cook, covered with wax paper, for 12 minutes. Turn each one over in its place and brush liberally with the soy sauce mixture.
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7. Continue cooking another 5 minutes, covered with wax paper. Remove the wax paper, brush on any remaining soy sauce mixture, and cook, uncovered, in the microwave oven until a golden brown and until a thermometer will register 185°F.
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8. Let stand, covered with foil, 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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TIP:
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Try this same type of treatment (just increasing the amounts) for a beautiful, juicy, succulent Pekin duck or any duck, for that matter. "Five-spice" is a mixture of clove, fennel, licorice, cinnamon, and anise and may be ordered from oriental and specialty shops.
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