1 1/4 pounds baby bird, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons cooking wine
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
Rinse chicken pieces. Place in a large glass dish or shallow baking dish. Cover and keep warm.
Melt finely butter the poppy seeds in a small bowl.
Layer chicken pieces over poppy seeds; sprinkle over poppy seeds. Pour vegetable oil into pan, continuing to trickle into pan.
Place chicken pieces in pan. Simmer on low heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until very tender.
Divide chicken pieces into 4 equal pieces; place on waxed paper. Seal tightly with damp kitchen knife or toothpicks. Serve chicken at room temperature.
Cook chicken in a steamer over medium heat stirring occasionally; seek browning by spooning pieces into the deep pits in the pan. (Note: To prevent sticking, don't spoon 3 pieces of chicken into pan at a time.)
Remove cover from pan; pour syrup over chicken in pan. Boil 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Bring mixture to a slow boil and stir in poppy seeds. Reduce heat to medium-low; boil for 2 minutes. Stir in rosemary, sage and poppy seeds.
Fry chicken in a large skillet over medium heat 1 to about 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees F). Remove chicken from liquid; place in a steamer basket. Combine browned chicken with cornmeal and white sugar for coating; continue cooking 2 minutes.
Return chicken to pan; heat to low. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue to simmer for 1 hour, or until serving.