Partridge stuffed with Colwick cheese, chestnuts & sage, Rutland Charcuterie Coppa

This recipe uses two amazing producers from the East Midlands- Colwick cheese is a traditional fresh curd cheese originating in the 17th Century from the village of Colwick in Nottinghamshire that has recently been revived by Alan & Jane Hewson using milk from their herd of rare breed ‘Red Poll’ Cattle at the Belvoir Ridge Creamery . In 2014 after studying Butchery & Charcuterie at the School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire, Nick Brake founded the Rutland Charcuterie Co, creating salamis and air dried meats sourcing directly from high welfare UK farms to create amazing products like Coppa ham made from dry cured pork neck.

Ingredients

2 Partridge
200g Colwick cheese
8 Slices Coppa
Small bunch of sage
30g Cooked chestnuts, crumbled
1 Large red onion (sliced into 1/8ths)
1 tsp Crushed juniper berries
150ml Balsamic vinegar
2 Sprigs thyme
2 Tbsp Rapeseed oil
Salt & pepper

 

Method

Season the inside of the partridge and stuff with the Colwick, crumbled chestnuts and a few sage leaves. Cover each partridge with 4 slices of Coppa ham.

Place the onion, thyme, juniper & rapeseed oil into a heavy based cast iron pan with a little seasoning. Place in an oven pre-heated to 190C for 10 minutes Remove pan from the oven and place each partridge on top of the onions before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place the partridge on a warm plate and cover with tin foil to rest. Add the balsamic to the pan and over a high heat, reduce the contents of the pan to a sticky glaze, stirring occasionally. Serve each stuffed partridge with a little of the balsamic roast onions & enjoy!

Top Tip- Freeze any left over game bones, when you’ve saved a decent cache, they make amazing stock, a perfect base for winter soups, risottos & stews.