Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons (about) Thai red curry paste*
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk*
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 2 5.95-ounce cans straw mushrooms, drained
• 3 kaffir lime leaves or 2 teaspoons grated lime peel
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*
• 1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 1 1/4-pound Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen, halved lengthwise, backbones removed
• Fresh basil leaves
• Small fresh or dried red chiles** (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and tomato paste and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add coconut milk, broth, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and brown sugar; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add cherry tomatoes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper. Add hens to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer hens to 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour sauce over. Bake uncovered until hens are cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer hens to shallow serving bowl; tent with foil. Skim fat from sauce. Pour sauce into large skillet; boil 5 minutes. Pour sauce over hens. Garnish with basil and chiles, if desired.
3. *Sold in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets. **Use any type of small fresh or dried chiles you find in the produce section or spice section of the supermarket.
4. *Sold in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.
5. **Use any type of small fresh or dried chiles you find in the produce section or spice section of the supermarket.