Partridge is a really good poultry meat, and I find that this partridge recipe makes things simple and easy. This is a relatively quick and easy dinner for 2.
Partridge is low in calories, which makes this a lovely and light dish. Each of the components, the partridge and the couscous are relatively quick to make, thus the dinner is very fast to make. If you find that it is difficult to source partridge, I suggest using chicken or turkey for a healthy alternative, or duck for a flavoursome alternative.
You need to take care not to over-cook the partridge, and it tastes richer than chicken, but is just as succulent.
Servings: 2
Calories per serving: 561
Partridge With Apricot, Pine Nut, and Walnut Couscous Recipe
This dish is light and flavourful with rich tastes that make an easy after work dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 dried apricots (chopped into a smallish size)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped into slices)
- 1 (heaping) tsp fresh ginger chopped finely (or even grated)
- 1.5 tsps Butter for the pan
- 55g uncooked couscous, or enough for 2
- 5 Walnuts chopped
- 3 tbsps Pine nuts
- ½ fresh lemon squeezed
- Fresh coriander
- Fresh mint
- ¼ Leek
- Raspberry vinaigrette puree (I put in a few splashes, but it is up to you)
- Berbere spice
- Pepper
- ½ Lamb bouillon cube
- ----
- 150g Partridge Breasts (or 4)
- 1.5 tsp Butter for the pan (again, I know, but this time is for the Partridge)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil for the pan
Directions
- Step 1 In a frying pan, heat the dry pan and add the pine nuts and chopped walnuts to toast.
- Step 2 Remove them from the pan, and add the sliced garlic to toast. You want them to be brown and a chewy / crunchy texture. Remove the garlic from the pan and put aside with your nuts.
- Step 3 While the pan is still hot, add the butter, (and turn down the heat) leeks, ginger and apricots. As this is softening, cook your couscous.
- Step 4 Add your couscous to a bowl, then add enough boiling water to cover the couscous.
- Step 5 Stir your mixture, and cover with a plate. Leave this for the time being to fully soak up the water.
- Step 6 Go back to the frying mixture and add the berbere spice and pepper. Leave that to continue to cook, you really want it to cook down.
- Step 7 You want to make sure that you have enough butter in the pan as this will also serve to partially dress the couscous. Crumble in your bouillon cube. When you are happy with the texture of your frying mixture remove it from the heat.
- Step 8 Add the couscous back in, then your lemon juice and raspberry vinaigrette, stir the mixture well and allow it soak up the extra juices.
- Step 9 Add your nuts and garlic and allow it to cool partially while you move on to cooking the partridge.
- Step 10 Partridge is extremely simple to cook. Put the butter and oil into your pan (olive oil will help to stop the butter from burning). Heat that in the pan until it is hot. Add both of your breast fillets and cook for 1 minute, turn over and brown the other side for 1 minute. Turn the heat and cook until it thoroughly done – which was about 8 minutes (essentially the juices need to run clear).
- Step 11 I got the cooking suggestions from the packet, which said to cook them for about 5 – 6 minutes. I feel as if I did not have the pan on hot enough when I turned them down to cook. So essentially, from minute 5, keep an eye on them.
- Step 12 When your partridge is cooked, use scissors to cut the coriander and mint into the couscous salad and serve immediately onto a plate. You do not want the coriander to sit too long in the warm mixture as it will cause it to wilt, and the presentation will not be as nice.
- Step 13 Serve immediately with your couscous salad.
Enjoy.
