Roasting partridges - any tips?

[Mobile Chicane]

I've been given a brace of partridges which I think I'll roast.

Question is, what oven temperature (it's a boggo electric) and for how long?

Any other cooking tips? Normally I BBQ/stew game and I've never done them in the oven before.

TVMIA

[Shaw Tarse]

Surprised you need advice on cooking MC, if I could help I would.

[Mobile Chicane]

You'd be surprised.

My cooking skills aren't that advanced beyond 'man-make-fire-prod-meat-with-stick'.

[calibrax]

Nice simple recipe here...

http://www.blackface.co.uk/recipes_detail.asp?reci...

[SVX]

Hi MC,

One I have up my sleeve (so to speak), but I would go for partridge two-ways;

Confit of partridge leg, with pan seared partridge breast... I served it with pommes boulangère, green beans with lardons and dijon, with a roti jus.

Damn fine t'was too!

[tenex]

Are they Greys or Red-legs and how "gamey" do you like your meat?

[Mobile Chicane]

30 minutes roasting just 'seems' too long. I don't want it drying out.

I am rather taken with a confit of the legs and pan-fried breasts.

The rest of the carcass I can use for game stock / jus.

Reet - I'll get started!

[tenex]

Mobile Chicane said:

30 minutes roasting just 'seems' too long. I don't want it drying out.

I am rather taken with a confit of the legs and pan-fried breasts.

The rest of the carcass I can use for game stock / jus.

Reet - I'll get started!

Hope I'm in time. 30 minutes and it will be killed all over again!
20's plenty.

10 if flash frying first.

Edited by tenex on Friday 1st October 21:27

[Mobile Chicane]

tenex said:

Mobile Chicane said:

30 minutes roasting just 'seems' too long. I don't want it drying out.

I am rather taken with a confit of the legs and pan-fried breasts.

The rest of the carcass I can use for game stock / jus.

Reet - I'll get started!

Hope I'm in time. 30 minutes and it will be killed all over again!
20's plenty.

10 if flash frying first.

Not too late.

I'm liking the confiting the legs (these are 'doing' in goose fat and white wine in the slow cooker) and pan-frying the breasts.

I have my concerns whether a domestic (electric) oven gets hot enough to cook game juicy and pink. Possibly not.

Braised pears from the garden to accompany, I think.

Yay - a 'free' meal...

[Plotloss]

Pan fry, wrap in pancetta and finish.

Or, if you're feeling adventurous, stuff with midly curried turkey mince, wrapped around a quails egg, pan fry and finish.

Had this in the Star of India and it was glorious!

[mybrainhurts]

Hell fire, I thought you said cartridges....

[AndyAudi]

If roasting covering with bacon is a must if you don't want it drying out.

[s3fella]

Some geezer called up Saturday Kitchen this moring to ask this. Was the OP not hapy with the initial PH advice?? !


Cant remeber what they said mind!

[markreilly]

tenex said:

Mobile Chicane said:

30 minutes roasting just 'seems' too long. I don't want it drying out.

I am rather taken with a confit of the legs and pan-fried breasts.

The rest of the carcass I can use for game stock / jus.

Reet - I'll get started!

Hope I'm in time. 30 minutes and it will be killed all over again!
20's plenty.

10 if flash frying first.

Edited by tenex on Friday 1st October 21:27

20 mins no more !

[markreilly]

SVX said:

Hi MC,

One I have up my sleeve (so to speak), but I would go for partridge two-ways;

Confit of partridge leg, with pan seared partridge breast... I served it with pommes boulangère, green beans with lardons and dijon, with a roti jus.

Damn fine t'was too!

Recipe this minute please !

[Shaw Tarse]

s3fella said:

Some geezer called up Saturday Kitchen this moring to ask this. Was the OP not hapy with the initial PH advice?? !


Cant remeber what they said mind!

I half saw that, thought about this thread but didn't hear what the advice was. Can't see it on iPlayer
Sorry MC.

[tenex]

I virtually always skin partridges, pheasants,pigeons etc. after hanging. About the only downside to this is perhaps they don't look so "special" on the plate.
Hanging is critical with game.Most,but not all, of the "gaminess" is in the carcass.Using this method means you can hang the game for longer without the meat becoming too strong. This results in a very tender, quick cooking meat.This is essential for pink moist fillets.I got so fed up with eating over cooked,dry,stringy gamebirds.
As a rough hanging rule of thumb 50 temperature days is about right for me.I don't like strong game.(ie 5 days at 10c or a week at 7c)


No plucking and gutting smell or mess.
Breast, fillet. Dislocate the legs to ease cutting them off.Pheasants/ partridge only. There is nothing left on a pigeon.
Boil up the legs for soup/stock (they are full of sinews) but flash fry the breasts and into a 200c oven for 10 minutes. Rest for 5.
Carcasses,guts and all into the bin.

I'm not advocating this as any sort of definitive method. I am probably only showing my culinary inadequacy. All I can say it works.
It also helps that I have access to an excess of free game.

[Mobile Chicane]

for the confiting the legs idea. (Although these were English partridges rather than the tough old French birds, so I really didn't need to.)

Had them with Dauphinoise potatoes and caramelised pears.

Sorry, no pics - too busy scoffing/gossipping.

[markreilly]

A quick and simple recipe for Partridge.slice off the breasts and sear in bautter with a little garlic.place in a small baking dish and cover with cream.salt and pepper.bruise some fresh tarragon and scatter on top.bake at about 180/200oc for twenty minutes.serve with mash.make soup with the remains