Roast Partridge with Sage, Thyme & Cider

Serves 2

Preparation: 5 - 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 35 minutes

This is a Guest Recipe from River Cottage.   You could cook this dish with pheasant if partridge is not available and the taste is absolutely sensational.    Do watch out for the shot pellets, so eat slowly and cautiously - you will want to savour the flavours!

Quite by chance, I teamed this up with a recipe I found in the Olive Magazine using seasonal vegetables for January - and the marriage of these two dishes could not have been better. 

I actually split one 284g carton of Vegan Elmlea Double cream between this and the Gratin dish - you could not tell the difference.   I have one very happy husband!

We are loving brussels sprouts at the moment and they go particularly well with Game dishes and, of course, are seasonal right now - being mid January.   

One thing is for sure, we shall be having this dish again, and probably often - it was just wonderful!

Ingredients:

2 oven-ready partridges

1 bunch of sage

1 bunch of thyme sprigs

1 garlic bulb, halved around its circumference

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 large knobs of butter

100ml (3½fl oz) cider

150ml (5fl oz) double cream (I used a vegan version - Elmlea, which was excellent)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
   
   
2. Place the partridges in a small roasting tray, then tuck the herbs in and around the birds.
   
   
3. Add the two halves of the garlic bulb and season well with salt and pepper.
   
   
4. Drizzle the olive oil over the birds, place a knob of butter on top of each, then put the roasting tray in the oven.
   
   
5. Roast the partridges for 20–25 minutes, until the skin is golden brown.
   
   
6. Remove the roasting tray from the oven and remove the birds to a clean plate, positioning them upside down, cover with foil and leaving them to rest somewhere warm.
   
   
7. Meanwhile, place the roasting tray directly over a medium heat.
   
   
8. To make the sauce, add the cider and bring the contents of the tray to the boil, having first scooped out each softened garlic clove into the sauce with the herbs.
   
   
9. Add the cream and stir in the mustard.
   
   
10. Bring the sauce back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until nicely reduced and beginning to thicken.
    
    
11. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
    
    
12. Return the birds to the roasting tray along with any juices left on the plate.
    
    
13. Bring to the table in the tray, then place one bird on each plate and spoon over plenty of sagey, cidery sauce.
    
    
14. Serve with buttery mash and a season green vegetables.
    
    
15. Please note that this dish is a "Sensation" served with Swede, Sweet Potato and Kale Gratin - click to find this recipe.