Cornbread
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
½ cup milk
Pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the honey, egg, butter and milk and mix well. Pour into a greased 8-inch cast-iron pan and bake for about 20minutes in a preheated 400 F oven, or until golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before using for stuffing.

Cornbread stuffing cornbread
Cornbread - see recipe above
½ cup onions, diced and sautéed
1/3 cup prunes, quartered
1 cup water (or wine)
1 teaspoon jalapeño or other chili pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon sage (or your favourite herb)
Salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, add the quartered prunes and cover with the water (or wine.) Let sit for 30 minutes or until the prunes have softened. Reserve.

Crumble the cornbread into a small mixing bowl. Add the sautéed onion, jalapeño and sage. Remove the prunes from the water and add to the cornbread — keep the water. Mix well. This mixture on its own is a little dry, so add some of the water the prunes were soaking in until all the ingredients start to stick together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Stuff the cavity of the hens with as much stuffing as it will hold. The remainder of the stuffing can be placed into a small baking dish and baked until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Place the hens into a large roasting pan (to give them space) and sprinkle each with a bit of salt and pepper. Bake the hens for about 45-50 minutes.

Remove the hens from the oven and brush with the buckwheat honey. Check the internal temperature. Continue to bake the hens and brush with honey until they reach an internal temperature of 165F. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the tops of the hens with bee pollen. Allow the hens to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Four hens will feed a hungry foursome or up to eight people if you are serving a few sides.