Roast partridge with bacon and mushroom sauce
If you're after a Sunday roast that’s simple to make yet seriously impressive, this game recipe is a perfect choice.
Ingredients
For the partridge
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp duck fat
- 100g/3½oz piece smoked streaky bacon, chopped
- 4 small round shallots, peeled
- 6 chestnut mushrooms
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 6 confit garlic cloves
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine
- 100ml/3½fl oz beef glace or reduced beef stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the kale
Method
To make the partridge, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Season the bird with salt and pepper and put the herbs and garlic in the cavity.
Heat the duck fat in a frying pan and cook the partridge until coloured on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a roasting tin and roast for 15–20 minutes, or until cooked through but still slightly soft to the touch and pink. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
To make the sauce, heat the duck fat in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook until golden all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Fry the shallots and mushrooms in the pan until golden, 7–8 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic cloves, and return the bacon back to the pan. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by three quarters. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the kale, heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the kale briefly until just wilted.
To serve, spoon the sauce onto plates, add the kale and top with the partridge slices.
