Margaret Suran wrote:

> I just picked up two Cornish Game Hens, a little less than 1 1/2 lbs
> each and I want to roast them and serve them for tonight's dinner.
>
> The last time, I left them in the oven too long and I do not want to
> make the same mistake today.
>
> How long should they be roasted and at what temperature? I will not
> stuff them.
>
> Thank you for your help, MS

It's difficult to give a time because there are so many variables.
Here are a few places where it can go wrong:
* oven temperature inaccurate
* bird very cold when put into oven
* bird very warm
* Pan has high sides and shields bird from air movement
* pan with bird in top part of oven.
* pan with bird in bottom part of oven

And more besides.

Cornish hens are small and the meat isn't very thick. It will cook
rather quickly and then it will sit and dehydrate thereafter as long
as you let it.

The best way to cook them is the way they're done by professionals.
They don't guess. Cook at a relatively low temperature (275F to 325F)
until the meat in the thigh is 155F to 160F. Let it rest for about 10
minutes and eat. A quick-read thermometer is the tool to have.
Relatively inexpensive and useful for everything from meats to bread.

Any other index will give you uneven results. From occasion to
occasion, the birds will turn out different using any index but
temperature. That old "twist the leg" approach is ok if you do it
often. But if it's an infrequent dinner item, you're just guessing.

But I wouldn't be cooking it any longer than about 40 minutes (at the
outside), depending on the size of the little critter.

Pastorio