Partridge Medley

Still chuffed about the other meal last weekend. No pics again so use your imaginations, this was a reworking of something I did recently. Four partridge was the offer we couldn't refuse. So took the breasts off the birds and set them aside. Then took off all the other useable meats. Carcasses went into a stockpot with an onion and a carrot and a glass of red wine, water to barely cover, then simmered gently.
Checked all the meat for possible shot. The other useable meats I minced on a coarse grade. Then re-minced it again this time with about six spring onions and 8-12 soft no soak prunes. Make sure you mix the prunes in else they will clog up the mincer. Into this mixture one small egg, Tbsp fine chop parsley, 1.5 Tbsp chestnut flour, pepper and 1/8th tsp of cayenne. Mix well together. With wet hands take 30gms of mince mix firm up and roll into balls, should make around 15. They will hold together easily.
Strain of stock into a clean pan, bring back to a very gentle simmer and carefully roll the balls into the stock in batches, after about 15min lift out to dry and set. Roll in chestnut flour, dip in another beaten egg then roll in coarse breadcrumbs.
Now to put it all together. In a hot skillet add a large knob of butter, pan fry the breasts, turning on the two sides and the neck end until coloured and inner flesh just has a line of pink still. Pat dry and rest in a warm place for ten minutes. In a pan of hot oil slide the breadcrumbed balls into the oil for around 6 mins or until they are evenly coloured. Lift out, drain. Assemble your plate, sit back and feast!

Slow Cook Partridge

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.