Roast Hungarian Partridge

Name: Roast Hungarian Partridge
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 4 Hungarian partridges; 4-5 tablespoons unsalted butter; salt; 1/2 cup game bird or chicken stock; 1/2 cup chokecherry or cherry syrup; 1/3 cup malt vinegar; salt to taste; 2 cups farro or whole wheat flour; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 pound diced bacon; 1 cup diced onion; 1 tablespoon chopped sage; 1/4 cup dried huckleberries or blueberries; Salt and malt vinegar to taste

User Reviews

5.0

9 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Servings
4 people
Calories
1169 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

Roast Hungarian Partridge

Elizabeth Hodge

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To make the recipe, you roast the partridges whole and then carve them before you serve. You could just cut the birds in half, but then you'd need to negotiate all those bones. Easier, more rustic, but harder to eat. Be sure to rest your partridges after they come out of the oven!

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Ingredients

Servings

4 Hungarian partridges, chukars or 2 Cornish game hens
4-5 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt

Chokecherry Sauce

1/2 cup game bird or chicken stock
1/2 cup chokecherry or cherry syrup
1/3 cup malt vinegar
salt to taste

Spätzle

2 cups farro or whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

To Finish

1/4 pound diced bacon thick cut or slab, or other fatty cured pork
1 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/4 cup dried huckleberries or blueberries
Salt and malt vinegar to taste

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Instructions

Start by taking the partridges out of the fridge and trussing them with kitchen twine. (My favorite instructions for trussing a bird are here.) Let them sit at room temperature while you make the spaetzle.
Mix together the farro or whole wheat flour, the eggs, milk and salt into a sticky, semi-loose batter: It should not look like anything you could knead. If it is too tight, add some milk. Cover the batter and let this sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Salt it until it tastes like the sea. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Once the spaetzle batter has rested, use a spätzle maker or a colander with large holes to drop the spätzle into the simmering water. Once the little dumplings float to the top, skim the spaetzle off and drop into the ice water. When they are all made, drain off the ice water and lay the spätzle flat on a cookie sheet. Toss with a little oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Preheat the oven to 425°F while you are making the spaetzle. When the oven is hot, smear butter all over the partridges and salt them well. Arrange them breast side up in an ovenproof pan (I use a cast iron skillet) so they are not touching each other and roast them in the oven for 22-28 minutes. Use a thermometer to gauge doneness: You are looking for about 150-155°F in the thigh area of the bird.
While the birds are roasting, make the chokecherry sauce. Boil the chicken stock down by half, then add the remaining ingredients. Boil this down by half, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste for salt and keep warm.
When the partridges are nicely roasted, take them out of the hot pan and let them rest on a cutting board. Pour any melted butter and juices over them and loosely tent with foil.
To finish the spätzle, heat the butter over medium-high heat and saute the bacon and onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the spätzle, sage and huckleberries and toss to combine. Heat until the spätzle are warmed, about 2-3 minutes more. Add salt and malt vinegar to taste.
To serve, put down some spätzle on each plate. Carve the partridges and arrange the meat over the spätzle. Drizzle a little chokecherry sauce around the edges of the dish. Serve at once with a big white wine, like a Cotes du Rhone blend, a buttery Chardonnay or a Viognier, a dry rose or a light red like a Gamay or Pinot Noir, or, if you are a beer drinker, a malty brown ale or Scottish ale.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 1169kcal (58%) Carbohydrates 79g (26%) Protein 98g (196%) Fat 52g (80%) Saturated Fat 18g (90%) Cholesterol 156mg (52%) Sodium 965mg (40%) Potassium 1274mg (36%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 31g (62%) Vitamin A 780IU (16%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 117mg (12%) Iron 20mg (111%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1169 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	1169kcal	58%
Carbohydrates	79g	26%
Protein	98g	196%
Fat	52g	80%
Saturated Fat	18g	90%
Cholesterol	156mg	52%
Sodium	965mg	40%
Potassium	1274mg	27%
Fiber	8g	32%
Sugar	31g	62%
Vitamin A	780IU	16%
Vitamin C	3mg	3%
Calcium	117mg	12%
Iron	20mg	111%