Chef Doreen Prei shares recipe for Cornish game hen

With farmer's market season comes fresh and exciting ingredients tasty foods simply out of reach during the doldrums of Edmonton's long winters.

From farm-fresh eggs to vegetables just pulledfrom the soil, these marketplaces can bring a whole new slate of flavours to your plate.

For Radio Active's resident chef, Doreen Prei, freshherbs are among the best seasonal ingredients you can find duringthese open-air shopping trips.

In her recipe for Cornish game hen, some of her favourite herbs green garlic and lovage, an herb thattastes a littlelike celerytake centre stage.

Ingredients:

Cornish Game Hen

• 1 game hen, washed and patted dry
• green garlic
• lemon quarter
• lovage
• salt and pepper
• 40 ml chicken stock
• 40 ml white wine
• 40 ml olive oil

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 450 F.
• Season the hen with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Stuff the hen with green garlic and lemon quarters.
• Place on a tray and bake for 20 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to 375 F.
• Combine the chicken stock, white wine and olive oil and brush over the hen after 15 minutes of cooking in the oven. The total cooking time is about 45-50 minutes. The juices should run out clearly if cut into with a small kitchen knife.
• Remove the green garlic from the hens, then make a paste together with somelovageleaves, and rub into the skin of the hens.
• Set aside for 15-20 minutes before serving.
• Place the remaining liquid from the cooking tray into a pot and reduce by half. Add 50 grams of cold butter and serve with the chicken.

Doreen Preiis a private chef, food consultant and Radio Active's food columnist. She joins the show every Thursday at 4:40 p.m.

You can learn more about Doreen on her website, orfollow her on Twitter.