Why you leave the skin on when you roast chicken/hens...

I left home for college with very few cooking skills. I could bake - cookies, cakes, etc. - but other than scrambled eggs and a grilled cheese sandwich, my repertoire was pretty limited. Over time, I learned to cook a few things, particularly from my friend and roommate Beverly, and became interested in food besides Kraft mac & cheese.

As a senior in college, I decided I was going to cook a special dinner for my boyfriend. I called my stepmother and asked her for her cornish game hens recipe she used to make for us. Of course, I thought that I knew a little better and decided to skin the game hens because it is healthier without the skin. (Now, is a good time to groan.)

Needless to say, after an hour at 400 degrees, I did not have cooked hens. I had naked, nasty, raw birds that ended up in the trash while we called Domino's. It was a well intended effort and a valuable lesson learned. I haven't pulled that bone-headed move since.

As I walked through the market the other day, I noticed that Countryside Family Farms (downtown Austin Farmers Market - 4th & Colorado) sells cornish game hens and thought it would be nice to cook up Barbara's recipe again, but this time with the skin.

I added a little twist to her recipe and threw some fresh veggies in the pan for the last 20 minutes (mostly because I'm lazy and like to cook in one pan.) It was a great, healthy one-pot meal.

Barbara's Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hens
butter
paprika
poultry seasoning or a combination of sage, thyme, salt & pepper

Rinse the hens in cold water.

Melt a stick of real butter and pour all over the hens. Sprinkle the birds with some poultry seasoning (or you can use a combination of sage, thyme, salt & pepper if you don't have poultry seasoning) and paprika to brown the SKIN (which of course you will leave on.)

Cook for an hour at 400 and be sure they are done.

Barbara likes to serve them with wild rice and broccoli and cheese (easy kind in the freezer section) and a relish tray.

I took some fresh veggies - carrots, mushrooms and purple asparagus - and added them to the pot before the bird finished cooking. I tossed the veggies in a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper and let it sit for a bit. I added the carrots and mushrooms to the dish about 20 minutes before the hen was finished cooking and added the asparagus on top about 7 minutes before it was finished.

Everything tasted great - even the skin!