1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Rinse the hens in cold water. Lightly sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, over medium-high heat on the stove top, heat half of the oil. Add the hens and turn to brown on all sides about 10-12 minutes. Add the sausages and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, thyme, marjoram, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest. Stirring into the hens and sausages.

3. Mix the vegetable stock and water together. Gradually add some of this liquid to the hens. Stir and cook a couple minutes. Adding more of the liquid to the hens.

4. Place the roasting pan with the hens into the preheated oven. Roast for one hour.

5. Remove from oven. Take the hens and sausages out of the pan and place in a large covered baking dish and set aside. Taste test the sauce in the roasting pan and adjust seasonings as desired and set aside.

6. While the hens are roasting, prepare the cabbage. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil Add teh cabbate and parboil for 10 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the water and drain.

7. When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, separate the leaves, reserving 8 whole, large outer leaves. Chop the rest of the cabbage, discard the tough core, and any tough stems. Lay the 8 leaves on a clean work surface. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a bowl, combine the soaked bread and about 2 cups of the chopped cabbage. Divide the mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Place a scoop of the mixture in the middle of each leaf. Working with 1 leaf at a time, fold the top end over the filling, gold in the sides and then fold in the stem and roll up like a cigar.

5. Spread the flour on a plate. Lightly beat the egg in a shallow bowl. In a large frying pan over high heat, warm the remaining olive oil. Dip each cabbage pocket into the flour first, then the egg and carefully slide them into the hot oil in the frying pan. Fry them, turning once, until golden and crusty on both sides. This should take only 3-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

6. Remove only the sausages from the large covered baking dish. Slice the sausages. Place the cabbage pockets between the hens and evenly distribute the sausage slices. Spoon the sauce from the roasting pan over the entire dish.

7. Cover the dish and place in oven. Roast for about 15-20 minutes. Basting one more time with its own sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!

This Spanish dish is made in Portugal, as well as, Spain. It is traditionally prepared with partridge birds, but the cornish hens are an excellent alternative. Some cooks prepare the cabbage pockets with some ground beef mixed in with the cabbage and soaked bread. However, this dish is full of protein and flavor, as well as, vegetables all on its own without any additional meat. You can, however, substitute beef stock for the vegetable stock if you like.