Recipes, Game Bird Recipes

Tandoori Partridge

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Partridge often appears on the table in more traditional guises, so here’s a version with a little more excitement. For this tandoori partridge, it’s important to remove the skin so the spice marinade can penetrate the meat rather than come away with it. The yoghurt marinade keeps the flesh tender and full of flavour.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Method

  1. Remove the skin from the partridge entirely, then halve them lengthways through the carcass, keeping the legs attached. Pat dry before marinating.
  2. Place all the marinade ingredients (except the ghee) in a blender and blitz until smooth.
  3. Put the partridge halves in a container, pour over the marinade, and turn gently to coat. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
  4. When ready to cook, skewer the birds through the base of the leg meat, running straight through the breast and wing so that all the breasts face the same way. Four halves per skewer works well, though two may be easier to handle.
  5. Prepare the barbecue by loading it generously with charcoal. Light and allow the embers to burn until glowing orange and covered in grey ash.
  6. Brush the partridge with the marinade and melted ghee, then season generously with salt. Arrange the skewers over the charcoal, not too close to the heat, and cover with the lid. Cook for about 8 minutes per side (or less, depending on size). The meat should remain slightly pink in the centre of the breast.
  7. Remove from the skewers and serve with finely shredded iceberg lettuce, red onion, green chilli, coriander stems, and slices of ripe tomato. Dress the salad with salt and white wine vinegar, and serve with lemon wedges.

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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.