Dinner

It's Thursday and there is nothing in the Fridge again. I really have to stop doing this. Taylor is looking at me like I have the answers. I don't.

I remembered that I am the same guy who writes a Food Blog so I cannot be a sell-out and call Dominoes.

I am thinking I could butterfly the Cornish Game Hens sitting at the bottom of the Fridge. Perhaps cook them in some kind of sage and butter sauce. I wish I had some Bacon. That would bring it all together. The problem is that I had a taste for a BLT last weekend.

Maybe potatoes tossed in olive oil and rosemary. I found some brocoli. That will help.

Taylor appears in the kitchen doorway. She stares at me with that particular pre-teen disdain that is both irritating and cute.  She reminds me that she is hungry then grabs her DSI and storms off.

The Cornish Game Hen is a small bird that perfectly serves one. The recipes and variations are legion. In light of circumstances, I knew that I would need to do something very simple and quick. You may remember when I cooked a chicken by butterflying it and roasting it in the oven. I decided to do something similar with these two birds.


I started by removing the backbone from each bird. You do this by flipping the hen over and cutting along both sides of the backbone. Remove it and save for your chicken stock. Lay your birds flat on a plate and put them back into the refrigerator uncovered for about thirty minutes. (This will make the skin super crunchy when you cook it).

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.  In a pan set on medium to medium-high, heat 3/4 stick of butter and about a 1/4 cup of chopped fresh sage until melted. (Use 2 tblspns dry Sage if you have no fresh). Sprinkle olive oil over the skin of your hen and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Now brown the hens skin down for about 10 minutes. Once nice and brown put them in the oven for about 30 minutes. Baste your hens with the butter sauce before you pop them in the oven.

At Taylor's request, I made mashed potatoes and blanched brocoli dressed with fresh lemon juice. I spooned a bit of the butter sauce onto the hens and potatoes before serving.

I promise you that this very simple recipe will absolutely blow your mind. The skin was crispy and the sage/butter combination gave it a rich and satisfying flavor. For a quick afterthought, it turned out to be a pretty special meal. Definitely an awesome date-night meal.

I could see a really nice Pinot working perfectly with this meal. Unfortunately, I am in a "cleansing" phase right now so no drinks for me with dinner.