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lots of protein, which means they overcook easily and can become unpleasantly grainy and bitter tasting if you’re not careful. The trick is to stop cooking while the livers are ever so slightly soft in the center. At that point the texture is moist and creamy and the flavor is mild. After grilling, the finished livers are coated with balsamic chocolate drizzle (balsamic vinegar simmered into a syrup, enriched with bittersweet chocolate), a magical elixir equally good on grilled fillet steak, charred chicken liver, and fresh, ripe strawberries.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces chicken livers, separated into 16 lobes and washed and patted dry

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Mole Rub

8 fresh rosemary branches, about 6 inches long, leaves removed

Cooking spray

⅓ cup Balsamic Chocolate Drizzle

DIRECTIONS:

Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, 350 to 400°F.

Toss the chicken livers and oil in a small bowl and season the livers liberally with the rub. Thread 2 liver pieces on each rosemary branch and coat liberally with cooking spray.

Brush the grill grate and coat well with oil. Put the chicken livers on the grill, cover the grill, and cook until firm, about 3 minutes, turning the livers halfway through.

Serve on the rosemary branches, drizzled with the balsamic chocolate glaze.

GAME HEN

Barely Burnt Honey-Lacquered Hens and Pears

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

We have often warned you against marinating in sweet liquids, not because they taste bad (on the contrary, they can be delicious), but because they cause meat to burn before it is cooked through. Well, if every rule needs an exception to prove it, this recipe is unequivocal proof that we have been telling you the truth. The fire is kept low to keep scorching to a minimum. Still, it is bound to happen in spots, which is part of the appeal of caramelized char-speckled grilled birds.

INGREDIENTS:

2 long metal skewers

½ cup Honey Marinade

1 teaspoon dried lavender

2 large game hens (about 2 pounds each), washed and patted dry

2 barely ripe Bartlett pears, cored

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon Asian hot pepper sauce, such as Sriracha

Lavender blossoms for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the marinade, dried lavender, and game hens in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, press out the air, and seal. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Light a grill for direct low heat, about 250°F.

Remove the game hens from the marinade and pat dry, discarding the marinade.

Tie the ends of the drumsticks together. Coat the game hens and the pears with the oil. Arrange on the skewers so the skewers pierce each hen from the shoulder through the leg and hold a pear at each end. This arrangement allows you to turn all of the food easily at once.

Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill until the game hens are lightly charred all the way around and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the interior of a thigh registers 165°F, 45 to 50 minutes, turning the skewers every 12 minutes or so.

While the game hens and pears are grilling, mix together the honey, vanilla, and hot pepper sauce.

Cut the game hens in half. Arrange a game hen half and a pear half on each plate and drizzle with some of the honey-vanilla mixture. Garnish with the lavender blossoms.

GAME HEN

Lemon-Bathed Game Hen with Toasted Almonds, Oregano, and Green Olives

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Game hens (a.k.a. Cornish game hens or Rock Cornish game hens) are immature chickens. They range from 1 to 2 pounds, which means a small game hen is a good portion for one person and a large one could serve two people. They are mild tasting and easy to cook, and are considered elegant because of their diminutive size, which makes them look like an exotic game bird. Game hens are easy to grill-roast and benefit from an herb rub or a flavorful glaze, both of which help to keep the breast meat moist and crisp the skin.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup olive oil

30 whole almonds, skins on

12 large green olives, pitted and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup