This superb recipe for Cornish hens calls for mildly spicy, aromatic Szechuan pepper, sometimes known as Chinese pepper. If you can’t find it, you can substitute ground pink peppercorns and a pinch of allspice. Ask your butcher to split the hens for you, or do it yourself: With kitchen shears, cut down around each side of the backbone of a hen and remove it, then use a heavy knife to split the breast bone.