This is pretty much a Spanish pollo al ajillo, chicken with garlic, done with partridge instead of chicken.I browned the partridges (1 each) in olive oil in a Le Creuset dutch oven, and added a head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled. When the garlic cloves and partridges were nicely golden, I added a good pinch of saffron threads (which a friend had kindly brought me from Spain a month or so ago) and a good slurp of dry sherry, seasoned with salt and pepper, put the lid on and put it in a 180C oven and left it alone until the birds were cooked through and the sherry had reduced to a rich and delicious sauce.
The vegetables were an exercise in clearing the fridge - leek, pointed cabbage and broccoli, sauteed with a little Spanish ham.
The partridge breasts came off a bit dry. I think I should have cooked it breast side down, to take advantage of more of the sherry juices. But aside from that the flavour was fantastic and it ended up being a very pretty and luxurious-tasting dish.
13 comments:
I love simple dishes like this; full of flavor and just a few ingredients. I bet while this is cooking your kitchen was filled with wonderful aromas.
Great recipe, I am definitely going to make this in the New Year. Many thanks...
It certainly looks more than fantastic!
The plate looks very nice. I have never tasted partridge, so you got me really curious.
that is very pretty. I love these small game birds. But i am not sure If I could ever make them any other way than grilled
Love chicken or shrimp al ajillo. Never had partridge, but other game birds I've eaten have tended toward dryness. We eat enough chicken that we should have feathers; I like this recipe and will definitely give it a go.
Happy new year to you and Captain Haddock, and thank you for another wonderful 12 months of food and kitteh pics x.
That looks quite moist to me!
Gorgeous dish! I have only had partridge once but I enjoyed it.
Lovely! I have never had partridge before. Is it a dark meat bird?
George - definitely, the garlic, saffron and sherry smell wonderful cooking!
Kat - thanks!
Simona - tastes a bit like chicken, a bit like quail.
AYOTG - the problem is that the game birds are most available in winter when the Weber has been put away!
Arlene - it is SO delicious with chicken!
Cranky - and to you, and the doglets and kittehs.
Aimee - thanks! It wasn't too bad.
Deb - Thanks!
Natashya - a bit? Darker than chicken, and on the legs it has definitely been a wild bird, but it doesn't taste that strong.
I have never had partridge...but it looks delicious. Just the title is enough to start the salivating :) Happy New Year to you, Cat!!!!
i thought the partridge was supposed to be in the pear tree, not the oven. :)
it's a tasty-looking meal, that's for sure. sorry it was a bit dry, but hey--that's easy to remedy! :)
Heather - I'd never had it before I moved to England either!
Grace - I have a recipe for partridge in a pear tree, too ;)
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