Partridge breasts with pears in puff pastry

This recipe using partridge breasts is impressive – but is actually very straightforward to make. Don’t be put off by the puff pastry – you can buy it easily in the supermarket ready rolled. The pear and port marinade gives a rich depth to the flavour.

Partridge breasts with pears in puff pastry

Ingredients

• Puff pastry cut into 13cm squares
• 12 partridge breasts
• 6 ripe dessert pears
• 375 ml port
• Salt and black pepper
• Small bunch of fresh sage with stalks removed
• 12 strings of redcurrants (optional)
• 6 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• Beaten egg to glaze

Method

1. Turn oven on to 200°C (400° F – gas 6)
2. Place partridge breasts in a shallow dish (not metal) with the port, seasonings and a few of the sage leaves, roughly chopped – allow to marinade for 15 minutes.
3. Peel, halve and core two pears and cut into 24 slices. Keep the remaining pears to one side.
4. To assemble, lay half the pastry squares on the work surface, place two slices of pear side by side on each, then lay a marinaded partridge breast on top. Scatter with a little chopped sage and a few
   redcurrants if using. Keep the marinade mixture handy.
5. Make parallel cuts in the centre of the remaining pastry squares but be careful to leave a border around edge of each, don’t cut right to the edge.
6. Brush the borders of pastry around the partridge breasts with the beaten egg, top each with a slitted pastry square, press edges firmly together to seal, knock up edges and brush each with beaten egg.
7. Bake for 15 -20 minutes until pastry is risen and golden brown.
8. Meanwhile, peel the remaining pears, core and slice.
9. Heat the port marinade mixture and the redcurrant jelly together in a pan and gently cook the pear slices until just tender.
10. Remove from the pan and serve the pear slices hot with the partridge puffs.