Recipes

Partridge w/ polenta & porcini

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Serves 2

Ingredients

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Directions

  1. Soak the mushrooms in 150ml of boiling water and allow to cool.
  2. Put the mushroom water and 50g of the butter in a frying pan and reduce at a rapid simmer.
  3. Once the water has evaporated, the mushrooms will start to colour in the butter.
  4. Add the vermouth and evaporate completely before finely grating in one of the cloves of garlic. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms start to colour well, and then season, adding just enough lemon juice to faintly sharpen them. Put to one side until needed and turn the oven on to 200°C.
  5. Bring the water to a boil and tip in the polenta with the remaining two whole cloves of garlic and the sage leaves.
  6. Turn the oven to 220°C.
  7. Stir immediately with a whisk and then turn down the heat and let it ‘plup, plup’ for 40 minutes feeding it a bit more water towards the end if getting a little thick.
  8. When the cooking time is done, it should be the consistency of custard migrating slightly over the plate rather than standing stiffly.
  9. Whisk in 75g of the butter and cheese, and if ready before the partridge, then loosen with a little extra water and a vigorous whisk.
  10. Smear 25g of butter on each partridge.
  11. Season generously with salt and pepper and roast for approximately 14-16 minutes, as they need to be pink within the breasts.
  12. Pour the polenta onto a platter, put the mushrooms in the middle of the polenta and the partridge on top.
  13. Drizzle all over with a bit of good olive oil.
  14. Eat with a rocket salad simply dressed with lemon juice, salt and olive oil and a good glass of light Italian red wine.

Valentine Warner is a chef, food writer, business owner and broadcaster, with a deep interest in nature, travel and provincial food. He describes his cooking style as ‘International Grandmother’ and combines his strong sense of storytelling with his infectious love of cookery. Val has a deep respect and understanding of ingredients, both wild and cultivated, and has the instinctive ability to rustle up hearty and wholesome meals from whatever’s available. Val is an avid proponent of native food sources, and finds common ground with Swaledale in their work to deliver top-notch meat, within a truthful, ethical and high welfare framework. Originally a trained portrait painter, Val has also authored 5 cookbooks, managed his own catering company and is a co-owner of Taqueria, a West London Mexican cafe. Val is also a partner in the Hepple Distillery in Northumberland and Holmen Lofoten hotel on arctic Norway’s Lofoten island.