Partridge with Blue Cheese Salad
- May 1
- 2 min read
Updated: May 7
With crumbly, full-flavoured blue cheese, buttery walnuts and a sharp mustard vinaigrette, our pan-fried partridge is packed with unforgettable flavours. Use your favourite leaf lettuce if you can’t track down the frisee and, if you’re pushed for time, skip the dressing.
Prep: 40 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
For the partridge
Partridge breasts x 2
Juniper berries x 4
Cloves of garlic x 2
Sprigs of thyme x 4
Unsalted butter x 40g
Cumin (to taste)
For the salad
Blue cheese x 200g
Whole toasted walnuts x 50g
Frisée lettuce x 1
For the dressing
Rapeseed oil x 150ml
White wine vinegar x 50ml
Wholegrain mustard x 10g
Sugar (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
METHOD
1. Pan fry the partridge
Sear the partridge breasts skin-side down in a frying pan on a medium heat with the juniper, cumin, garlic, thyme and butter. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, basting the partridge as you go and trying not to burn the butter.
2. Rest the meat
Leave the partridge to rest in the juices and flavours, turning it skin side up to keep it nice and crisp.
3. Prepare the salad
While the meat rests, dice the blue cheese into 1cm cubes and place in a mixing bowl.
4. Roast the walnuts
Rub the walnuts with a little oil, lay on a roasting tray and toast in the oven at 170°C for about 5 minutes. Take out and cool, then mix the nuts with the cheese.
5. Add lettuce leaves
Pull apart the lettuce leaves and add to the mixing bowl.
6. Make the dressing
To make the dressing, combine the white wine vinegar with the rapeseed oil, add the mustard and season with a touch of salt and sugar. Whisk well and taste for seasoning.
7. Dress the salad
Dress the salad, saving some of the dressing to serve.
8. Plate up and serve
Place the partridge breast neatly in the centre of the plate. Scatter the salad around the partridge, making sure each plate has plenty of blue cheese and walnuts.
Pour the leftover dressing into a jug. Serve alongside the salad with chunks of warm wholemeal bread.
