The Twelve Days of Christmas was the first thing that ran through my head when Dave arrived home from the farm shop saying that he had a little present for me.  And he meant little.  Two plump little partridges, fresh from their butchers.

I veered wildly between being thrilled and being anxious.  Thrilled because I’d never cooked feathered game, and anxious because, well… I’d never cooked it.

Luckily, the universe was on my side.  While channel-hopping I suddenly heard “…and Tom will be showing us his roast partridge with braised lentils later on.”  Now that’s serendipity for you!

I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t a pretty dish, but it was delicious so the looks don’t entirely matter.  (It is incredibly difficult to get Puy lentils to look sexy in a photo—my hat is off to anyone who manages it.)  But despite their homely looks, the lentils tasted spectacular.  The herbs and vegetables they were braised with enhanced their earthy flavour and then the addition of the caramelised squash and shallots provided gloriously sweet pockets of flavour.  The crispy pieces of bacon sent the whole dish over the top and left Dave and I in raptures.

The partridge was delicious and worked very well with the rich, earthy flavours of the lentils.  It was meatier in texture than chicken with a lightly gamey and slightly mossy taste, enhanced by the handful of sage that I’d pushed into the cavity of each bird.  It was every bit as fiddly to eat as I’d expected, and I felt very mediaeval as I gnawed on a tiny leg but I did resist the urge to toss the bones over my shoulder to the floor!

As was fitting for both the season and the carol that had run through my head, we finished off our Autumnal meal with some tender pears baked in honey and marsala, but more about that another day…

PS. Partridge season runs until 1 February, so there’s still plenty of time for everyone to enjoy these perfectly portion-sized birds.

Roasted partridge with braised lentils and butternut squash

Adapted from this recipe by Tom Pemberton

2 oven-ready grey leg partridge
knob of butter
large handful sage, leaves only
olive oil, for frying
1/2 brown onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
small handful rosemary, chopped finely
small handful thyme, chopped finely
1 bay leaf
100g smoked streaky bacon lardons
300g Puy lentils, soaked for 20 minutes in cold water
150ml chicken stock
3 small shallots
1/2 large butternut squash, chopped into 4cm/2in cubes
sherry vinegar, to deglaze

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan oven.

Place the shallots and squash in a roasting pan and drizzle over some olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the shallots and squash and tender and caramelised.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan sweat the onion, celery, leek, herbs in a little olive oil for 5-6 minutes.

Drain the lentils and add to the pan, cover with water and a splash of chicken stock. Gently simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes, or until al dente. Season well with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, in another pan, fry the bacon lardons for 3-4 minutes, or until golden, then add to the lentils.

When squash is cooked, slip another roasting pan into the oven and turn the heat up to 250C (230 fan oven.)  Stir the caramelised squash and shallots into the lentils and bacon.  Check seasoning and keep warm.  (The lentil mixture can be made in advance.)

Prepare the partridge by stuffing it with a little butter and some sage leaves, then rub the rest of the butter over the partridge and season well with salt and black pepper.

Heat a frying pan until smoking, add a drizzle of olive oil and seal the partridge until slightly browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes.

Place the seared partridge in the preheated roasting tray and roast for 12-15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Remove roasted partridge from oven and leave to rest on a warmed plate under a tinfoil tent.

Deglaze the partridge roasting pan with a splash of sherry vinegar and chicken stock, scraping away at the residue with a wooden spoon. Pour the sauce over the partridge.

Serve the roasted partridge alongside the lentils and squash.

I am submitting this post to Maninas’s Eating With the Seasons event (October edition.)