(Photograph: Linda Nylind)
Ingredients:
(Serves two)
2 partridges, cleaned and gutted
Few sprigs of thyme
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Splash of olive oil
120g polenta
Small bunch of sage, half roughly chopped and half whole leaf
60g butter, plus a couple of knobs for inside the birds
1 cup milk
Punnet of good blackberries
Tumbler of red wine
1½ tbsp redcurrant jelly
Splash of sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F.
Choose a smallish thick-bottomed pan to make the polenta in. If it’s slow-cooking then you need to get it on first. Melt half the butter until just fizzling, then gently fry the chopped sage in it for a minute or two. There will be instructions for the amount of liquid you need to use, so just scale down for the quantity of polenta in this recipe, and where they generally advise water, we will be using half milk and half water.
Once the sage has released its aroma, pour in the milk and water. When steaming, but not boiling, slowly pour in the polenta while whisking it. Turn the heat right down and let the grains cook in the liquid, stirring regularly, which could take anything from 12-30 minutes, depending on the kind of polenta used.
If it starts to go cementy, a hefty splash of milk followed by vigorous whisking will restore the creaminess. Season with salt and pepper. When your polenta is 20 minutes away from being ready, stuff the thyme, garlic and a knob of butter inside each bird, and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Put an oven-proof frying pan on a high heat and melt the rest of the butter with a splash of plain olive oil.
Once hot, put the birds in the pan, breast side down. Brown them well on both breasts, then turn them over and pop them in the oven. After 15 minutes take the pan out, put it over a medium heat on the hob, and remove the birds, resting them breast side down covered with foil on a plate for the five minutes it takes to finish the sauce.
Fry the whole sage leaves in the pan for just a minute, then take them out and put next to the birds. Pour in the wine and a splash of sherry vinegar followed by the blackberries.
Give the berries a good roll around as the wine reduces to a saucy consistency, then stir in the redcurrant jelly until it melts.
Turn the heat off, season the sauce, give your polenta one last taste and consistency check, restoring it to full creamy potential with a splash of milk if necessary and serve on big, warmed plates: first the beautiful soft polenta, bird on top, sauce and berries all around and the sage leaves to finish.
(recipe by Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of the fast-food chain, Leon)
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