Partridges And Cabbage

Partridge is delicious if cooked simply. This wild bird has delicate and tender flesh. Thus, two of the best ingredients to combine with it are soft and subtly sweet cabbages and notoriously pungent juniper berries. This dish can be served as an alluring alternative to roasted chicken at your next dinner party. The native grey varieties are small birds that can be served whole, one for each person. They are full of robust flavor and fantastic aroma, and are ridiculously affordable too. The milder tasting partridge are the red-legged variety. It is a larger bird and perfect for gourmet recipes for two. Partridge is quite easy to prepare and require less cooking time than chicken. 

You can serve partridge on or off the bone. You can use the bones for making stock to cook the cabbage. The wild bird could use the extra fat to help retain and add moisture to its meat, which is leaner than chicken. Thus, this recipe that hales from healthville of the best easy dinner recipes calls for a generous amount of butter. Cream is also added near the end of the recipe to counterbalance the gamey taste and also to make the dish taste absolutely ambrosial. If you pierce the partridge meat with a fork and the fork slides down the flesh all the way to the bone with ease, it’s done properly. However, take extra care not to overcook the partridge as it dries out quickly. Wash the partridge thoroughly with cold water, and pat it dry with a paper towel before cooking. Juniper berries used primarily to flavor wild game have a tart flavor that cuts down on some of the gaminess of wild birds, boar, buffalo, and venison. It is the main ingredient in making gin. Juniper berries surely add a piney flavor and pungent aroma to this exotic dish.

Ingredients

1 medium head cabbage (shredded)

4 tablespoons butter

2 partridges

Sea salt

Pepper (freshly ground)

¼ teaspoon paprika

Juniper berries

1 ¼ cup whipping cream

1. Fill a large pot with water. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil. When it begins to boil toss the cabbage in the water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add the partridges and brown them on every side. Add the cabbage to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Add the paprika and half a handful of juniper berries. Cook covered for 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. It is best to serve it warm.