Roast partridge with clementine, winter spice and sherry gravy

"In the partridge recipe below I like to use drier sherries such as fino, manzanilla or amontillado, always adding some towards the start of cooking and a splash at the end to help lift and intensify the flavour" says Philippa Davis

TAGS: NL Partridge recipes

Roast partridge with clementine, winter spice and sherry gravy

This recipe serves 2

Ingredients

2 whole oven ready partridges
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
80g cooking chorizo, cut into 1cm cubes
4 large shallots, peeled and sliced into small wedges
2 sticks celery, washed, trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces
4 bay leaves
2 sticks cinnamon
4 star anise
10g ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into strips
2 clementines, cut in half horizontally
85ml dry or medium sherry
150ml light game stock

Method

Season the partridges before browning on both sides in a heavy-based, deep casserole dish on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Remove to a plate.
In the same dish add the remaining oil and the chorizo, shallots, celery, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger and clementines. Season and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring often, until just softened and starting to caramelise.
Return the partridges, breast-side down, and splash in 50ml of the sherry and all the game stock. Place the lid almost fully on and simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes. (Find a selection of sherries here.)
Take off the heat, turn the partridges breast-side up and stir in the rest of the sherry. Leave to rest with the lid off for 5 minutes.
Serve with buttery mashed potato and a winter leaf salad.

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