The partridge is a small bird of the pheasant family, with tender, juicy meat and a pleasant aroma. They’re healthy and quick to cook, making them a great alternative to duck or chicken. Many housewives are afraid to cook these birds, because they do not know how to approach them, but, having mastered the preparation of partridges once, they are happy to include them in the menu.
There are two main types of partridges: gray and red. Gray partridges are small, up to 300 grams, with delicate flesh and delicate aroma. Red partridges, more common in Southern Europe, the carcasses of these birds are much larger, their meat is just as juicy, but with a milder taste.
When cooking a partridge, you don’t have to be afraid of simple dishes. The taste of the bird itself is quite original, you can simply fry it and serve it with vegetables, adding sauce
When choosing a recipe for a partridge, it is important to pay attention to the age of the bird. Young partridges, juicy and tender, are best cooked quickly, leaving the meat slightly pinkish. Aged birds will taste better when stewed with other ingredients to share some of their intense, rich aroma with them. Partridges are often too lean in meat, so they are sometimes wrapped in slices of bacon.
The partridge is very easy to bake. If you’re worried about overcooking the bird, wrap it in baking parchment. For 4 young birds you will need: – 12 juniper berries; – 4 strips of bacon; – a handful of sage leaves; – 4 sprigs of rosemary; – 50 grams of unsalted butter; – 4 cloves of garlic; – salt and freshly ground pepper.
In some recipes, the partridge can be replaced with gherkin chickens, but it is important to remember that the chicken takes a little longer to cook.
Preheat oven to 180C. Wipe off the plucked partridge carcasses with a damp cloth. Put a quarter of butter, 3 each juniper, a few sage leaves, a clove of garlic and a little salt. Wipe the carcasses on top with salt and pepper, place a sprig of rosemary and wrap in bacon, then wrap in parchment. Place the birds in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Peel off the paper, being careful to keep the juices inside the birds, and serve with mashed potatoes or other vegetable purees. If you bake the birds without paper, then on the released aromatic juices you can make a great sauce. Take one tablespoon of cranberry jelly and 100 ml of red wine or whiskey. Mix them with juices inside a saucepan, add a little butter, heat over low heat until the jelly dissolves. Strain and serve with poultry.
Use partridge to make a popular Mediterranean dish, the escabiche. You will need: – 5 partridges; – 2 heads of onions; – 4 carrots; – 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper; – 3 bay leaves; – 4 cloves of garlic; – 125 ml of white wine vinegar; – 75 ml of dry white wine; – 240 ml of olive oil; – ½ lemon; – salt and freshly ground pepper; – chopped parsley for garnish.
Rinse the carcasses and dry them with kitchen paper towels. Place in a saucepan, add peeled and sliced onions, peeled and julienne carrots, crushed peppers and bay leaves. Pour in wine, vinegar and oil, season with salt and ground pepper. Cover the pot with a lid, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer the partridges for 30 minutes. Add the sliced lemon and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and refrigerate without removing the lid. Remove the cold birds from the pan, remove the hammered pepper, lemon and bay leaf from the broth. Slice the partridges and serve with vegetable sauce, garnished with parsley.
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