Ingredients:
2 brace partridge
½ lb small dice smoked bacon
1 stick celery, stringed and cut into 1” segments together with the heart and young leaves.
2 clove garlic coarsely chopped
6-8 young thin carrots, brushed clean
1 onion coarsely chopped
handful of parsley
2 bay leaves
2lb of apples, peeled, quartered and cut into thin moons. I used Russets which keep their shape and are sweetish
Juice of one lemon and 2” of lemon peel
¼ pint cider brandyr
¾ pint chicken stock
3 Tblspn olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a large frying pan on a high heat, put in diced bacon and turn until coloured. Tip fats to one side, take off bacon and scatter around in slow cooker bowl.
Return pan to heat and sear all sides the partridge that you have wiped dry. When well coloured set aside.
Scatter garlic, carrots, chopped onion, lemon peel, celery segments and heart in slow cooker bowl with the broken bay leaves.
Put apple slices as they are cut into a bowl and toss in lemon juice.
Stuff two or three apple segment into the body of each partridge and press each bird breast down into the slow cooker bowl.
Pour off any excess fats and deglaze the frying pan off the heat with the cider brandy, stir in all the crusty pieces and pour over the birds together with the chicken stock.
Scatter the remainder apple pieces with the lemon juice around the birds, pressing into any gaps. Season to taste.
Cover slow cooker bowl, put in base, set to low temperature and leave to slow cook for four hours.
Check birds are moist and very tender. Take out birds and set aside in a warm place with about half of the apples and vegetables pieces.
Blitz the remainder apple and vegetables with the sauce until thick. Rub through a sieve, return to a clean pan and reduce over high heat until thick and smooth.
Take the breast and leg meat off each bird, arrange on a plate with the reserved apple and vegetable in the centre. Drizzle with the sauce, serve with the left over sauce in a separate boat.
In the heat of the moment forgot yet again to take a photo. Note to self, I will really have to do better.
