Roast partridges on toast spread with their livers

In this dish the partridges are cooked as a fairly conventional roast.  The presentation is more particular with the birds being presented on toast spread with cooked livers and a specific garnish.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 30 Mins

Total Time: 45 Mins

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

2                    Partridges  - including their livers

1 tbs               Butter       

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black 

                     Salt          

1 clove            Garlic       

2 rashers          Bacon  - streaky, cut in half     

10 cl               Stock  - game         

1                    Chicken liver           

2 slices            Bread       

2 tbs               Wine  - white          

2 tbs               Sherry       

To serve

                     Watercress

                     Fried breadcrumbs    

60 gms            Mushrooms  - chopped

1                    Onion  - small, chopped         

1 rasher           Bacon  - chopped     

30 gms            Butter       

Method

Heat an oven to 220°C.

Truss the birds, smear the outside of each with a teaspoon of butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place half a clove of garlic inside each bird.  Cover each breast with bacon and arrange in a roasting dish.  Pour in the stock and place in the oven.

Roast for 10 minutes with the bacon on, then remove the bacon and roast for another 10 minutes to brown - basting to brown and crispen the skin.

Meanwhile melt a teaspoonful of butter in a small frying pan and lightly sauté the partridge and chicken livers – keeping them pink.  Remove from the pan and mash into a pulp.

Toast the bread, spread the liver mixture on each one and arrange on a serving dish.

Transfer each the birds from the roasting pan onto a slice of toast and keep warm in a cool oven (160°C).

Meanwhile scrape the juices in the roasting pan and place over a high heat, add the wine, sherry and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Boil rapidly to reduce by half and then pour into a gravy boat.

To serve…

Fry the mushrooms, onion and bacon together in the butter,

Serve the partridges on a serving dish, garnished with sprigs of watercress, two small piles of fried breadcrumbs and two small piles of the fried mushroom mixture.  Serve the sauce separately.

Variations

The recipe specifies that the birds be presented on a serving dish.  They can be served on individual

dinner plates.

Wine recommendations

A red wine.

Conventional

     Claret

Interesting

     Bourgueil

     Irouleguy

     Saumur-Champigny