This roast partridge by MasterChef champion 2018 Kenny Tutt is a really special, sustainable roast recipe that’s perfect for the festive season. Tag us in your Christmas cooks @Thermapen #LetsMakeItTheOne.

Partridge is usually in season from mid-September to the end of January. It is possibly the most delicate and delectable of all the game birds and has a subtle ‘un-gamey’ flavour. I’ve called on my Irish roots and served this delightful little bird with some rich creamy cabbage and smoked bacon which my mum used to always make around Christmas and serve with roast chicken. It’s easy to dry partridge out in the oven so using a Thermapen is a foolproof way to keep it moist and juicy.

Temperatures

Use your Thermapen to check the temperature. You are aiming for the birds to reach a final temperature of 74°C after they have rested, so cook until they reach around 63 – 68°C as the temperature will continue to rise after they have been removed from the heat. 

Ingredients

For the partridge

• 4 plumb partridges, plucked and oven ready (ask your butcher to do this for you)
• 150 g salted butter
• 5-6 springs of thyme
• 3 shallots, peeled and cut lengthways
• Salt and black pepper to season
• 250 ml chicken stock (optional)
• 100 ml white wine (optional)
• 1 tbsp redcuarrant jelly (optional)

For the cabbage

• 1 savoy cabbage, finely sliced
• 200 g smoked bacon lardons
• 100 ml dry English cider
• 100 ml cream
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 215°C/200°C fan/Gas mark 6. Put a knob of butter inside each bird and place the remaining butter in a roasting dish with thyme, shallots, and a dash of oil. Place the roasting dish in the oven without the birds until the butter has melted, then remove and coat the birds with the butter.
• Season with a little salt and pepper and place breast side down in the roasting dish. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the bird’s breast up and baste so the breast will brown. Use your Thermapen to check the temperature. You are aiming for the birds to reach a final temperature of 74°C after they have rested, so cook until they reach around 63 - 68°C as the temperature will continue to rise after they have been removed from the heat. Rest the birds in a preheated serving dish for 10-15 minutes. To make a quick gravy deglaze the roasting dish with a little white wine and a few ladles of chicken stock and reduce for 10 minutes. Finish by stirring in the redcurrant jelly.

To make the cabbage

• Brown off the bacon lardons and set aside with the fat. Place the sliced cabbage in a large pan and begin to sweat over a medium heat. Add the cider and the bacon and cook for a further few minutes. Finish with the cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Serve the roast partridge and the cabbage at the table as a sharing meal with a little light gravy and a few crispy potatoes.

Kenny Tutt

Masterchef Champion 2018

"Thermapens are crucial to my cooking both at home and at my restaurant, so I'm delighted to be working on some new recipes to showcase what they can really do."