David Everitt-Matthias’s grey-legged partridge with caramelised chicory, chestnuts and salsify

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C F/Gas 7. Place a sloe or juniper berry and thyme sprig in each bird’s cavity and tie the legs together. Season the birds and heat the oil and butter in a cast-iron frying pan. When sizzling, add the partridges, on one leg-side first. Cook for 1 minute until golden, turn on to the other leg and cook for another minute until golden. Finally cook for 1 minute breast- side down until golden.

Transfer to the oven, breast- side up, and cook for 7-8 minutes until pink. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes. Remove the legs and trim the ends, then remove the breast and keep warm; alternatively, keep the bird whole. Deglaze the cooking pan with the juices that escaped from the birds during resting, add a little water and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes, season and pass through a fine sieve. Keep warm.

For the chicory, bring a pan of water (that is just large enough to hold the chicory) to the boil. Add the lemon juice, sugar and a little salt and bring back to the boil. Remove the central core from the chicory, add to the boiling water and poach for 5 minutes for small chicory or 8-9 minutes if medium. Drain and cool a little and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze the excess moisture out. If using the medium ones, cut in half lengthways.

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the chicory, cut-side down if using the medium ones, and cook until they start to colour. Add the maple syrup, cook for around 2 minutes, then turn the chicory over and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan, drain and season. Keep warm.

Peel the salsify and cut into even lengths to get 6 pieces per person. Put in a pan with the chicken stock and the duck fat. Bring to the boil and cook on a medium-high heat until the stock has gone and the salsify is tender and light brown. Season and keep warm.

For the chestnuts, heat the butter in a frying pan and, when foaming, add the chestnuts and chicken stock and cook until golden brown. Season and keep warm. Serve the partridges either whole, or with the meat piled on one side of each serving plate, with the chicory, salsify and chestnuts and a little of the partridge juice spooned over.

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