Roast Partridge

Most of the game I’ve eaten before came in the form of pheasants given to us by the shoot who rear them to shoot for sport on the farm back home, and rabbits, shot in the field with the rifle. Rabbits are a farmer’s sworn enemy. They feed mainly on grass, but a newly planted field of oats or barley when the shoots are young and tender is a much more delicious prospect for them, and they can devour the best part of a crop before the plants get a chance to grow more than a few inches. Rabbits are also prolific breeders, churning out several litters in a breeding season that lasts nine months. They’re the most populous land mammal in Britain; in other words: a pest. Naturally then, our Dad was more than happy for my brother and I to go out and shoot rabbits on the farm, their destiny usually being a delicious rustic stew with cider and bacon, served with fluffy mashed potato. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water… I must get some rabbit sometime soon.

So one day I was out shooting rabbits when I spotted something rabbit-coloured moving in a tuft of grass. I shot it, but it turned out to be a partridge! From a distance, the grey feathers looked uncannily like a rabbit’s fur. This partridge, along with all the other partridges, pheasants and ducks on the farm were paid for and reared by the shoot and are off limits for us to take for our dinner. Oops! Well I wasn’t going to waste it, so I took it home, plucked, gutted and roasted it. It was tasty, but I can’t say I was blown away by the flavour. However, I then found out that there are two types of partridge; the French red-legged partridge, and the grey English one. The one I had was the red-legged variety and I’d read that the grey partridge has a richer more prized flavour, so I was keen to try it and see. And today I found myself standing in George Bower’s butcher’s shop looking at all these partridges! I was told it is the perfect time of year for partridge, and the evidence was in front of my eyes. The time had come. I picked up two to take home and roast for lunch. I wrapped them in bacon, stuffed them with apple and laid them on a bed of rosemary, garlic and bacon. The result was excellent, and definitely better than the other red-legged one I shot by accident. This recipe was compiled from a number of different sources, including Gastronomique, Leiths Cookery Bibleand Rick Stein’s French Odyssey.

Roast Partridge with Smoked Bacon and Port Jus (Serves 2)