Grey partridge ◆

Perdreau gris

What it is

Escoffier placed the grey partridge above the red-legged for finesse and the classical repertoire followed him, but the bird has since become far the scarcer of the two: British breeding numbers are down around ninety percent since 1970 as the hedgerows went. The word on the menu matters — a perdreau is a bird of the year and is roasted; after the turn of the year it is a perdrix and goes in a pot.

In the kitchen

A young grey weighs 300–350 g and wants twelve to fourteen minutes in a very hot oven, breast down, then as long again resting — a minute past that and the pale flesh is sawdust. A sheet of barding fat over the breast buys about two minutes of margin.

Goes with

Cabbage Juniper berry Butter Thyme Grape Puy lentil Smoked cured pork belly

Same species

Partridge

In season alongside

Hind Roe deer Fallow deer Young wild boar Amethyst deceiver Snipe

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