Serves 2.
Ingredients
For the game stock
• 2 pigeons, chopped in half
• 2 onions, chopped in half, skin on
• 6 shallots, chopped in half, skin on
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 leeks, roughly chopped
• 2.5 litres boiling water
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garni, containing thyme and rosemary sprigs
For the partridges
• 50 g duck fat
• 2 partridges
• 50 ml port
• 1 knob of butter
Method
1. First make the game stock. Preheat the oven to 230º/gas 8. Place the pigeon carcasses in a baking dish with 1 cm of water. Add the onion and shallot halves, garlic cloves,
2 carrots and 2 leeks to the dish. Bake for an hour.
3. Remove from the oven and scrap the gooey blackened contents into a stockpot the boiling water. Add the remaining carrots and leeks, peppercorns and the thyme and rosemary. Cook for 3 hours on a low heat, strain and reduce by half. Your stock is now ready to be used for sauces.
4. To cook the partridges preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7. Heat the duck fat in a frying pan. Add the partridge breasts to the pan and sear briefly.
5. Transfer the duck breasts to a baking dish breast side-down. Roast for 7 minutes, remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Heat 500ml of your pre-made stock and allow to reduce by half. Add the port and allow to reduce even further; the sauce needs to be thick and syrupy.
7. Whisk in the butter to give the sauce a nice glossy finish. A spoonful of flour can be added at this point if the sauce still needs to thicken.
8. Carve off the breasts and thighs from the Partridges. Serve on a bed of bubble and squeak and drizzle over the rich gamey sauce.
Ingredients
For the game stock
• 2 pigeons, chopped in half
• 2 onions, chopped in half, skin on
• 6 shallots, chopped in half, skin on
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 leeks, roughly chopped
• 2.5 litres boiling water
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garni, containing thyme and rosemary sprigs
For the partridges
• 50 g duck fat
• 2 partridges
• 50 ml port
• 1 knob of butter
Method
1. First make the game stock. Preheat the oven to 230º/gas 8. Place the pigeon carcasses in a baking dish with 1 cm of water. Add the onion and shallot halves, garlic cloves,
2 carrots and 2 leeks to the dish. Bake for an hour.
3. Remove from the oven and scrap the gooey blackened contents into a stockpot the boiling water. Add the remaining carrots and leeks, peppercorns and the thyme and rosemary. Cook for 3 hours on a low heat, strain and reduce by half. Your stock is now ready to be used for sauces.
4. To cook the partridges preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7. Heat the duck fat in a frying pan. Add the partridge breasts to the pan and sear briefly.
5. Transfer the duck breasts to a baking dish breast side-down. Roast for 7 minutes, remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Heat 500ml of your pre-made stock and allow to reduce by half. Add the port and allow to reduce even further; the sauce needs to be thick and syrupy.
7. Whisk in the butter to give the sauce a nice glossy finish. A spoonful of flour can be added at this point if the sauce still needs to thicken.
8. Carve off the breasts and thighs from the Partridges. Serve on a bed of bubble and squeak and drizzle over the rich gamey sauce.