Roast Red Leg Partridge, French Style Peas, Confit Legs, Puy Lentils

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

8 Breasts and 8 Legs of Red Leg Partridge

2 Gem Lettuce


100g Diced Smoked Bacon or Pancetta

 100g Garden Peas

500ml Chicken Stock

50ml Double Cream Small Tin Duck Fat

4 Cloves Garlic


2 Sprigs Thyme


100g Puy Lentils


2 Carrots, finely diced and blanched


1 Shallot, diced


Sea salt


50g Unsalted Butter

The first Job is to comfit the Legs of the Partridge. Place the duck fat in a suitable saucepan so that, once melted, the fat will cover the partridge legs, Add two garlic cloves and thyme, then season with a little sea salt. Place in a pre-heated oven at around 85oC for 11⁄2 - 2 hours or until the meat comes away from the bone.

For the French style peas, first fry the bacon ensuring a nice colour and place to one side. Once cooked, keep back the oil for later. Reduce 100ml of the chicken stock by half
and add the double cream.
Add the Diced Bacon and
keep until later. Place the
Lentils in a big saucepan
with the diced shallot, two
garlic cloves and the remaining chicken stock. Simmer until the Lentils are just cooked, then add the diced carrot.

To cook the partridge, use a non-stick frying pan with a little butter and duck fat. Once the butter is foaming, add the breast and cook for 2 minutes on each side, then take out of the pan to rest. Serve the partridge slightly pink. Take the legs from the duck fat, place in the pan and cook until they have a nice glazed colour. Season with sea salt.

To serve, re heat the cream sauce and add the peas and bacon. Dice the gem lettuce and add to the cream. Now season with a little bacon oil. Place the cream sauce in the middle of 4 warmed plates, re-warm the lentils and spoon around the plates. Top with the breasts and the legs.

Serve with duck fat roast potatoes or creamy mash.