Roast partridge & pears with perry gravy

Ingredients

• 4 partridges
• 8 rashers of streaky bacon
• 6 banana shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
• 4 pears, cored and quartered lengthways
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 200g cavolo nero
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 200ml perry (pear cider)
• 200ml chicken stock
• Mashed potatoes, to serve

Method

Get the partridges out of the fridge and remove from their packaging up to an hour before cooking to bring them to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 220C. Scrape the back of a sharp knife along each strip of bacon on a board to stretch it out a little. Season the birds all over then wrap each one with two rashers of bacon. Arrange the shallots and pears in a single layer on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper and scatter over the caraway seeds. Sit the partridges on top, with the veg acting as a trivet. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 30-35 mins, until the partridges are cooked through – they should reach a core temperature of at least 63C when checked with a probe thermometer.

Meanwhile, strip the leaves from the cavolo nero, cut these into 2cm strips and set aside. Finely slice the stems. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil then add the cavolo nero stems, garlic and a pinch of salt. Soften over a medium heat for 6-8 mins. Add the cavolo leaves and cook, stirring regularly, for 5-6 mins until mostly wilted. Add a splash of water and cook for 1-2 mins so the evaporating liquid steams the leaves and finishes cooking them. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.

Lift the cooked partridges off the baking tray, tipping them to allow any juices from the cavities to spill back into the tray, and put on a plate to rest. Add the shallots and pears to the plate, then set the baking tray over a medium-high heat to make the gravy.

Stir the flour into the cooking juices and cook for a minute. Pour in the perry and simmer, stirring, to deglaze the pan. Stir in the chicken stock and simmer for about 8 mins, until thickened and reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the partridges, shallots and pears on a bed of mashed potato, with the cavolo nero on the side and the perry gravy for pouring over.

Image: Debby Lewis-Harrison