Name: Maple & bourbon glazed poussins with cornbread stuffing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 30g butter melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing the tin; 150g coarse yellow cornmeal; 150g plain flour; 50g soft light brown sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; 2 large eggs lightly beaten; 240ml milk; 15g butter; 200g spring onions chopped; 2 garlic cloves finely chopped; 1 lemon zested; 4 thyme sprigs leaves picked and chopped; 2 medium eggs lightly beaten; 6 poussin; 300ml maple syrup (the darkest grade); 3 tbsp bourbon; Tabasco to taste (you can make it quite hot if you like)

Maple & bourbon glazed poussins with cornbread stuffing served in a roasting dish

For the cornbread

30g butter
melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing the tin
150g coarse yellow cornmeal
150g plain flour
50g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
lightly beaten
240ml milk

For the poussins

15g butter
200g spring onions
chopped
2 garlic cloves
finely chopped
1 lemon
zested
4 thyme sprigs
leaves picked and chopped
2 medium eggs
lightly beaten
6 poussin

For the maple glaze

300ml maple syrup
(the darkest grade)
3 tbsp bourbon
Tabasco
to taste (you can make it quite hot if you like)

Method

step 1
To make the cornbread, heat oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 6 and brush a 23cm cake tin with a little of the melted butter. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with 1 tsp salt. Mix the eggs, milk and butter in a jug. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and gradually pour in the wet ones, mixing with a wooden spoon as you go.
step 2
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20-25 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean.
step 3
To make the maple glaze for the poussins, put the maple syrup in a large pan (it bubbles up a lot when heated), bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and let it reduce by a third. Add the bourbon and Tabasco and leave to cool.
step 4
To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the spring onions, just until they are softening a little. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Scrape into a bowl and add 250g of crumbled cornbread, lemon zest, thyme and eggs. Mix together.
step 5
Season the birds inside and stuff each one. Put them in a roasting tin and brush each poussin, using half the glaze. Roast for 35 mins at 190C/170C fan/gas 5, then spoon the rest of the glaze over the birds. Return to the oven and roast for a further 15 mins. The birds should be cooked through with dark, glossy skin.