Partridges are such a nice size for individual portions and can be so easy to cook. Though they are game, they do not taste wild and can be flavoured nicely with herbs and spices.
For this recipe, I took inspiration from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Great Britain published by Penguin. I changed/added a few ingredients that I had using pomegranate molasses rather than blueberry jam and omitting the lentils.
Recipe
2 partridges
Rosemary sprigs and thyme
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
4-6 slices, pancetta (bacon could also be used)
2 sausages, your choice (I used fennel sausages.)
4 small shallots (optional)
2 tbsp, Pomegranate molasses
Preheat oven to 200. Wash and clean partridges. Stuff cavity with rosemary and thyme sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Top with pancetta, covering the breast and legs as well as you can to keep the birds moist.
Top with Pancetta
Remove sausage meat from casing. Roll meat into balls about the diameter of a 10 pence coin (or a USD quarter).
Place partridges in a dish that just fits and place sausage balls around them. If using shallots, put peeled ones in at this point.
After 30 minutes in the oven, remove and top with pomegranate molasses. Put back in the oven for 3-4 minutes until molasses is golden and sticky forming a nice glaze.
Serve partridges with sausage balls and shallots.
This would be delicious with Spiced Roasted Swede and Onions or Stichelton Mushrooms.
I am including this recipe in Herbs on Saturday hosted by Lavender and Lovage and though I did not forage it myself, a local farmer did.
Enjoy!
Goodness. That looks unbelievably yum!
That has to be amazing. I love most game, although I’ve never eaten partridge. Like that you’ve kept the meatballs separate. And far prefer the idea of the molasses rather than blueberry jam?!? Sometimes I wonder which planet Jamie’s on.
An amazing recipe and so sophisticated too! Love the idea of the glaze and can see that the sweetness will marry well with the gamey flavour of the partridge!
Wow. Okay, now I’m drooling
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