Pot-Roasted Partridge With Sage

Low Calorie Cookbook, Reader's Digest CanadaLow Calorie Cookbook, Reader's Digest Canada

Naturally low in calories, partridge is perfect for pot roasting. Cooking in hard cider, or apple juice, and stock keeps the meat moist, and sage, walnuts, and apple add wonderful flavours. Carrot and celery-root puree is an ideal extra, or try mashed potato with scallions.

Number of servings : 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 ¼ hour

Type of meal : | Main Courses | Main Courses

Special diet : | Low fat

Ingredients

4 partridges
15 g fresh sage
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups hard cider or apple juice
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 teaspoons German or whole-grain mustard
3 walnut halves, thinly sliced
1 red-skinned dessert apple, cored and cut into thick slices
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Tuck some sage sprigs into the body cavity of each partridge, reserving a few sprigs for garnish.
  2. Melt the butter with the oil in a Dutch oven just large enough to hold the birds over medium heat. Add the partridges and fry over a moderately high heat, turning until evenly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Lift the birds out of the Dutch oven; set aside.
  3. Add the onion to the Dutch oven and sauté until light brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir into the onion. Add the cider, or apple juice, stock, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the walnuts.
  4. Return the partridges to the Dutch oven, breasts side down. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the partridges are tender, about 1 hour.
  5. Lift the partridges out of the Dutch oven and place on a warm serving plate; cover and keep hot.
  6. Set the Dutch oven on the stovetop over high heat. Bring to a boil and boil the cooking liquid until reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Add the apple slices for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
  7. Spoon the apple slices around the birds and garnish with the reserved sage sprigs. Serve with the sauce.

Health Bites: Walnuts, like most nuts, are high in fat, however, this is not all a bad thing as it is mostly the healthy form of unsaturated fatty acids.

Nutritional information: