Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 2 partridge
- 60 g unsalted butter, divided
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 apple
- 4 white bread, thinly sliced
- 60 ml calvados
- 30 g watercress, fresh
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 625 kcal
- Protein
- 67 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 853 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 32 mg
- Potassium
- 829 mg
- Calcium
- 99 mg
- Iron
- 14.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 17 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 117 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 74 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Truss the partridges using kitchen twine to ensure even cooking.
Rub 15g (1 tbsp) of butter onto each partridge and season thoroughly with salt and pepper.
Place the partridges in a roasting pan with 50ml of water and roast at 175°C (350°F) for 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Peel, core, and cut the apples into halves.
Place apple halves cut-side down in a buttered baking dish, dot with 15g (1 tbsp) of butter, and bake for 15 minutes until tender.
Sauté the bread slices in the remaining 15g (1 tbsp) of butter in a frying pan until golden brown on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
Sauté the partridge livers in the same frying pan over medium heat until the centers remain slightly pink.
Mash the cooked livers in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper until a smooth paste forms.
Spread the liver paste evenly across the sautéed bread slices.
Warm the Calvados in the frying pan, ignite it carefully with a long lighter, and pour the flaming liquid over the roasted partridges.
Arrange the partridges on a platter with the baked apples and liver croûtes, then garnish with watercress.
Chef's Notes
- Trussing is essential for partridge as the legs are much thinner than the breast and will overcook if not tucked in.
- If partridge livers are unavailable, a high-quality chicken liver mousse can be substituted.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store bird and apples separately from bread to prevent sogginess.
Reheating: Reheat bird in a 150°C (300°F) oven until warm; toast bread separately.
Troubleshooting
Partridge meat is dry and tough
Cause: The bird was roasted for too long or at too high a temperature.
Fix: Serve with extra melted butter or a splash of chicken stock to add moisture.
Prevention: Use a meat thermometer to pull the bird at 72°C (162°F) as it will rise to 74°C (165°F) while resting.
Calvados does not ignite
Cause: The alcohol was not warm enough or the proof was too low.
Fix: Heat the liquid further and try again, or omit the flambé and use as a pan sauce.
Prevention: Gently warm the spirit in the pan before attempting to light it.
Cultural Context
A traditional European game preparation, specifically rooted in the Norman French tradition of pairing poultry with local orchard fruits and Calvados brandy.
