“I adore partridge, and this is a lovely dish to eat. It’s also a beautiful to look at as the autumn colours are so wonderful. Be careful to not overcook the breasts, and give the legs a longer cook or they can be chewy and tough. This dish is brought together with the addition of the brambles and black pudding.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 30 minutes; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1 oven-ready partridge, legs removed

1 big sprig of thyme

A few sage leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 slices black pudding

1 handful kale, blanched in boiling salted water, refreshed in cold water

A small handful of brambles

A small handful of wild mushrooms, or buttons would do

A glass of Madeira

250ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil 

2 knobs butter 

Good salt and pepper 

50ml duck fat

INGREDIENTS

Firstly, heat the duck fat in a frying pan on the hob and add the garlic and half the thyme. Then add the partridge legs and a pinch of salt and cook for 1 hour. Set to one side in the oil.

Heat the oven to 180°C.

In a clean oven-proof frying pan, heat half the oil and sear the crown of partridge. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining thyme. Add a spoonful of the duck fat from the leg pan and turn the crown in the hot fat, before placing the pan in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the crown from the plan and leave to rest in a warm place.

Add the Madeira to the pan from the oven and deglaze on a hot hob for 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and the sage leaves and reduce by three quarters. Whilst it’s reducing, add any juices from the resting crown. Once reduced, add the brambles.

Add the remaining oil to a fresh pan and fry the mushrooms and black pudding at a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remove the mushrooms and black pudding and add the butter to same pan with the kale. Season and stir in a spoon of duck fat from the legs.  

To serve, place the kale in the centre of a plate and top with a piece of black pudding. Remove the breasts from the bone of the crown, and place on top of the black pudding with the confited leg. Arrange the mushrooms and brambles around the edge of the plate, trickling the sauce over them. Garnish with a few sage leaves.