Here's a pullet surprise story // Health hoopla spurns Cornish hen

Pity the poor Cornish game hen. In all the hoopla over low-fatchickens and turkeys, the little bird has gotten lost in the shuffle.The typical cook's familiarity with the Cornish hen has been limitedto wild-rice stuffings and dowdy dinner parties.

In fact, consumption of the small chicken, a mixture of theCornish gamecock and Plymouth rock hen, isn't exactly booming.Cornish game hens constitute only about 2 percent of broilerproduction. The United States produces 100 million of the hens eachyear, compared with about 4.2 billion broilers.

This is a bird that got off on a wobbly foot. Although theyfirst appeared in this country in the late 1800s, cornish game hensinitially were introduced for a commercial market in the early 1950sby actor Victor Borge, who hit upon the idea of an individual-sizedchicken for American consumers.

Borge was rather unsuccessful in his promotion efforts, however,as commercial production didn't really take off until the '60s.

According to Stephen Pretanik, director of science andtechnology at the Broiler Council, there is "no significantdifference" in nutritional data between the cornish hen and thebroiling chicken.

Although the Cornish hen is slaughtered at a younger age (fourweeks as opposed to seven or eight for broilers), most compositionalchanges in birds occur after eight weeks, Pretanik said.

However, Ann Salisbury, spokes-woman for the Perdue poultryfarms, claims a company analysis indicates Perdue's Cornish hens have20 percent less fat than generic broilers. She claimed that Perduecovets its Cornish-game-hen breeding formula to the point thatbreeder birds are transported by guards and armored cars, lestsomeone steal them.

This complete dinner, prepared in about an hour, is suitable forcompany, as well as a special family meal. As long as you havebutter, oil, salt and pepper on the shelf, you're set to help updatethe cornish hen.

This meal also takes advantage of the imported peaches appearingrecently on produce shelves. Complete the meal with 2 cups cookedbrown rice sprinkled with 1/3 cup cashews, and 2 cups steamedbroccoli florets, sprinkled with lemon juice before serving. BROILED LEMON-CURRY CORNISH GAME HENS

Salt and pepper

2 Cornish game hens, halved

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons curry powder, or more to taste

Salt and pepper the cornish hens to taste. Combine oil, lemonjuice and curry powder and stir until combined.

Place split hens skin-side down on a broiler pan. Baste withlemon curry mixture and broil for 15 minutes. Turn hens and bastewith remaining lemon curry mixture. Broil for additional 10 minutes,or until juices run clear. Serve hen halves surrounded with sauteedpeaches. Serves 4. SAUTEED SPICED PEACHES

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon allspice

3 peaches, peeled and sliced

In skillet, melt butter. Add allspice and peaches and sauteover low heat for about 8 minutes, or just until fruit is soft.Serves 4.