You may have seen little hens in the supermarkets and wondered which version of chickens you were viewing.

Well, what you were looking at were Cornish hens, a mild and much smaller version of a chicken. A Cornish hen is a little bird, weighing between half-pound to a pound, with a subtle and delicate taste. Cornish hens are great for stuffing, a quick barbecue or a speedy roast.

What is the difference between a game hen and a Cornish hen? Whatever name you give it, the hen is likely to be the same chicken. There were only a few breeds of chicken until the early 18th century when hens were clustered by specific regions. The hen of choice in Cornwall, England, was the Indian game fowl. Later, different breeds of Asian chickens were introduced to Britain and the breeding of chickens became a popular hobby of the time.

Breeding mix

Imported birds were added to the breeding mix and the Indian game fowl was further refined and renamed the Cornish game. In the mid-'90s, the Rock Cornish hen was developed by crossing the Cornish Game and Plymouth Rock chickens to produce the small, plump-breasted bird produced commercially today and sold at six weeks old, weighing two to two and a half pounds.

The Rock Cornish hen is a cross between the Cornish game and White Rock breeds of chicken. This breed of bird is known for the relatively large breasts that develop in a short time. In four to six weeks, the hens are ready for slaughtering to provide one serving of meat each.

Ready to cook

In today's markets, fresh game hens are sold ready to cook. If the chickens were frozen, they were pat dry and then wrapped in airtight packaging. Properly frozen, Cornish game hens can be stored in the freezer for six to nine months at 0°F. Frozen game hens are usually packaged and sold in pairs.

When frozen Cornish hens are to be cooked, they should be thawed in the refrigerator and cooked soon after. They make nutritious and interesting meals at Easter and any other time of the year.

Cooking Cornish hens

The flavour of Cornish hens is the same as chickens. The ratio of meat to bone is small, so one game hen is the perfect serving size for one person. If several side dishes are to be served, then half a hen would be adequate. It is best to split hens in halves before cooking, as their bones are not too strong to split after roasting.

The best method of preparing Cornish hens is roasting but braising and sautéing are also good cooking methods. Roasted and stuffed with any filling of choice and glazed for succulence, small birds will tantalise every palate. As with chicken, the giblets can be used in the regular ways as in gravies, stuffing and so on.

Variations to roasting

Hens may be roasted whole and served one per person for a more dramatic presentation.

Stuff with a carbohydrate stuffing of choice. Good examples are sweet potato, yam or rice.

Hens may be brushed with honey, guava jam and marinated in red wine.

Fresh lemon juice may be squeezed over the roasted chicken and a few sprigs of rosemary tossed in with dried parsley.

In true Jamaican style, Cornish hens may be marinated in jerk seasoning, then roasted or grilled.

To spice up the bird before popping it in the oven, rub with a mixture of dried thyme, salt and pepper and brush with melted butter. Put a sprig of thyme or rosemary in the cavity of the bird for added flavour.

On the lighter side, 'hen' is a generic term in the world of poultry, so there is no way of differentiating male from female hens in a meal, according to Dr Sarah Birkhold, professor in the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University.

Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in the Corporate Area. Send comments to editor@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.

Cornish hens for Easter

4 Cornish hens

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup orange juice

1 red sweet pepper, thinly sliced

2 oranges, thinly sliced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Halve Cornish hens lengthways with a heavy-duty knife.

3. Cut through the breastbone, just off the centre.

4. Cut through the centre of the backbone.

5. Rinse hens and pat dry.

6. Twist wing tips under back and place hen halves, cut sides down, in a three-quart rectangular baking dish. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for an hour.

7. While the hens are roasting, combine sugar, orange juice, water, sweet pepper and oranges in a saucepan.

8. Cook over medium heat, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until thickened.

9. After an hour of baking, baste with orange mixture. Place oranges and sweet peppers on top of hens. Continue baking to get a brown, shiny crust.

Serve with a green vegetable salad.

Serves 4.

MCT

Cider-lacquered Cornish hen is paired with apple dressing.

ROASTING recipe

healthy lifestyle

healthy lifestyle