Cornbread Stuffing with Kale, Bacon and Pecans

Arrange the rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).

Butter a 33x22x5cm baking dish. Place the crumbled cornbread in a very large bowl.

In a large heavy deep frying pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, or until it is brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the bowl with the cornbread.

Add 125g of the butter to the bacon drippings in the same frying pan and stir until melted. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables soften slightly. Working in batches, stir in the kale, letting each batch wilt before adding more. Stir in 1 cup of stock. Cover and braise the kale, stirring occasionally and adding an additional 1 cup of stock after the first 20 minutes, for about 40 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Stir in the parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Gently fold the kale mixture and pecans into the cornbread in the bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of the remaining stock to blend. Gently fold the egg-broth mixture into the cornbread mixture, taking care not to mash the cornbread. Set aside for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, to allow the cornbread mixture to absorb most of the liquid. Gently fold in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the stock. The mixture will be wet.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Uncover the dish, increase the oven temperature to 190°C, and continue to bake for about 25 minutes, or until it is set and the top is brown and crisp.