Maple & bourbon glazed poussins with cornbread stuffing

• butter↗30g g

  melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing the tin

• coarse yellow cornmeal↗150g g
• plain flour↗150g g
• soft light brown sugar↗50g g
• baking powder↗1 tsp tsp
• large eggs↗2

  lightly beaten

• milk↗240ml ml
• butter↗15g g
• spring onions↗200g g

  chopped

• garlic cloves↗2

  finely chopped

• lemon↗1

  zested

• thyme sprigs↗4

  leaves picked and chopped

• medium eggs↗2

  lightly beaten

• poussin↗6
• maple syrup↗300ml ml

  (the darkest grade)

• bourbon↗3 tbsp
• Tabasco↗

  to taste (you can make it quite hot if you like)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.