Honey Roast Partridge and Vegetables

Delicious honey roast partridge with seasonal root vegetables.

Ingredients

For the glaze/sauce

• 250m dry cider
• 1 concentrated stock portion – Knorr Stock Pot or similar
• 2 tbsp regular runny honey
• 1 tbsp truffle honey if available – or add another tbsp regular honey

To make the pan juices into gravy

• 100 ml dry cider
• 250 ml water combined with one concentrated stock portion
• 1 small tbsp cornflour

For the birds

• 2 Wild and Game partridges
• 8 strips cooking pancetta
• Olive oil

For the vegetables

• 800g mixed chopped root vegetables – eg. sweet potato, parsnip, butternut squash, potato
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp truffle honey or regular honey

Method

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
2. Toss the vegetables in the olive oil and roast at 200 degrees centigrade (gas mark 6)
   for 25-30 minutes depending on how small they are chopped.
3. After 25-30 minutes toss the vegetables in the honey and put back in the oven for 10
   minutes.
4. About 25 minutes before the vegetables have finished cooking, fry the birds in the
   olive oil for a few minutes until browned.
5. Take the birds out of the pan and wrap in pancetta.
6. Put them in a small roasting tin and pour over the glaze.
7. Cook the birds for 15-20 minutes, opening the over and basting them with the glaze
   every five minutes.
8. Check the birds are cooked by piercing them with a skewer between the leg to see if
   the juices run clear. When they do, take the birds out and transfer to a plate to rest.
9. Pour the pan juices into a saucepan and add the stock portion, cider and water. Mix
   the cornflour with water, pour it in and stir until thickened. Cook for a few minutes.
10. Serve the birds with the sauce and vegetables.