Maple-glazed partridge and parsnips
I love a smashed root vegetable purée. They hold well and remove the need for perfect timing. My secret for almost every root vegetable is butter. If you chop the vegetables into small, even-sized pieces and cook them in a proper amount of butter and salt in a lidded casserole, your purée will be a beautifully rich and concentrated version of the vegetable. Adding water, cream, milk or onions just dilutes the flavour. I really like the addition of maple syrup, as I find it has a savoury nature that works well with meats; make sure you buy proper maple syrup, not one that is just maple flavoured. Splaying the legs of the partridge will help it to cook more evenly. The lean white meat will become dry if overcooked, so keep the temperature low to ensure it retains a pink blush and stays moist. It is better to use liquid chicken stock rather than a stock cube, but check it does not contain flour or other stabilisers – these ingredients will cause the stock to thicken too much as it reduces, sabotaging the recipe.
Serve with
1 head radicchio, leaves roughly torn
1tsp honey
2tsp Dijon mustard
4tsp red wine vinegar
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Put the radicchio leaves in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the leaves. Toss well before serving.
Ingredients
For the parsnips
For the partridge
Method
Step 1
Peel and dice the parsnips into 1cm cubes (don’t worry if they are not that precise). Place them in a heavy-based saucepan or in a casserole dish with the butter and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over a low heat for around 30 minutes. Stir every 4-5 minutes with a wooden spoon, allowing the parsnips to break down of their own accord.
Step 2
Heat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 180°C/mark 4. While the parsnips are cooking, you can then brown the partridge. Do this in two heavy-based frying pans (fitting two birds per pan). Divide the duck fat or oil between the pans and bring to a medium heat. The temperature of both of the pans should be hot enough to colour the skin, but not so hot that the oil starts to smoke. Brown the birds all over, finishing on their backs.
Step 3
Use a sharp knife to cut the skin that joins the leg to the breast, so that you are able to splay the legs. Divide the butter between the pans then, as it bubbles and browns, baste the birds with a spoon, making sure that you pour the hot butter into the gaps you have created around the legs.
Step 4
Transfer the partridge to a heavy roasting dish without crowding them together. Add the chicken stock to the dish and brush the birds all over with the maple syrup. Roast for 6 minutes, brushing the birds with the pan juices every couple of minutes, then check the temperature with a probe in the thickest part of the breast. You are looking for 58°C. It may take 2 minutes longer if your oven is not fan assisted.
Step 5
Remove the birds from the oven, then cover and leave in a warm place for at least 10 minutes. Grind over lots of black pepper, then serve the partridge with the juices from the pan and the parsnip purée.
