roast english partridge with forcemeat balls & celeriac pt 1

FORCEMEAT BALLS CELERIAC PUREE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE To make the compote, heat the oil in a pan, add the shallots or onions and cook until lightly coloured. Add the wine vinegar, sherry, sugar and ginger, shaking the pan. Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, until almost tender. Add the jelly and orange zest and cook through. Add the blueberries at the last moment - do not allow to cook - and serve immediately.

To make the forcemeat, chop the pork, livers, breadcrumbs, shallot and seasoning very finely in a food processor. Stir in the herbs and diced apple. Fry a small piece of forcemeat in a pan, taste and adjust seasoning.

Form into walnut-sized balls and roll in the flour. Just before serving, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the balls until golden.

Remove the partridge legs at the hip join. Place the legs in a casserole or roasting tin, add the diced vegetables, stock, red wine, bouquet garni, Madeira and juniper berries. Bring to the boil, then place in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gas 4 for 45 minutes until the skin is glossy and the legs tender. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make an incision each side of the breast bones and tuck in little sprigs of fresh thyme. Lift the skin away from the breast and smear a little unsalted butter under the skin. Season.

Heat the remaining butter in a heavy-based pan and sear the breasts on both sides, then sit them on their sides in a roasting tin. Place in a preheated oven at 220C/425F/gas 7 for 5-6 minutes. Turn over and continue roasting for a further 5 minutes. Remove and rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the potatoes with two-thirds of the celeriac. Mash, beat in the nutmeg and half the butter and check the seasoning. Form into small cakes and fry in the remaining butter until crusty and golden. Keep hot.

Cut the remaining celeriac into fine julienne strips. Stir-fry quickly in butter until crisp. Season.

Strain the cooking liquid from the legs, reduce by half and whisk in a little butter. Remove the breasts from the carcasses.

Place the legs and forcemeat balls on heated dinner plates. Arrange the continued in part 2