“We are gearing up for the game season kicking off at Braehead. With that in mind, our production kitchen looks for interesting ways to prepare and present game birds with our customers’ needs in mind. The partridge season runs from September 1 through to February 1 and partridge offers a great introduction to game for the novice. It is more delicately flavoured than grouse or pigeon and is strongly associated with Christmas. This recipe uses up the whole bird, requires a little bit of technique and exemplifies the type of dish we make for chefs across the country. By taking care of the time-consuming preparation, the chef can focus on garnishes, cooking and plating – thus putting their own twist on the dish.”
– Andrew Beattie, New Product Development Chef, Braehead Foods
Ingredients (serves six):
- Six partridge
- 200g duck fat
- 10g Maldon salt
- 3 pieces tangerine peel
- 12 thin slices pancetta
- 1 conference pear (firm)
- 25g butter
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 100g chicken breast
- 20g egg white
- 100g double cream
- 5g Maldon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Tangerine zest
Method:
Prepare the partridge:
1. Remove the legs from the bird and dry marinade overnight with 10g Maldon salt, the tangerine peel and 1 sprig of thyme.
2. Remove the breasts from the carcass and take the skin off the breasts.
3. Melt the duck fat in a pan and confit the partridge legs over the lowest of heat for an hour (or until the meat flakes easily off the bone).
Make the mousse:
1. Flake the leg meat and discard the skin and bone.
2. Peel the pear, cut into a small dice and pan fry quickly with the remaining thyme in the butter till golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
3. Place the chicken flesh and salt in a food processor and blend till smooth. Add the egg white till combined and then decant into a clean bowl set over ice. Fold in the cream taking care not to overmix.
4. Fold the cooked pear, confit leg meat and a little finely grated tangerine zest through the mousse.
5. Poach a little bit of mousse in a pan of simmering water, taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
Assemble the roulade:
1. Decant the mousse into a piping bag.
2. Unwrap a double layer of cling film onto your table.
3. Cut the slices of pancetta in half and overlap four slices on the cling film.
4. Lay the partridge breasts on the pancetta.
5. Pipe 40g mousse onto the partridge.
6. Lifting the edge of the cling film form the layers into a roulade shape and tie off the ends, ensuring a neat parcel.
Cook and serve the roulade:
1. Poach or steam the roulade for 8 minutes and then allow it to rest for ten minutes (check the core temperature has reached 75ËšC).
2. Remove from the packaging and pan fry in a little oil to crisp up the pancetta.
3. Carve the roulade and serve.
