Partridge Winter Salad, with leek leaf salsa-verde

A warm salad, celebrating wonderful seasonal winter vegetables, accompanied with the addition of tangy satsuma.  Leeks make a great warm salad, and using the stem of the leek in the salad, and the leaves in the salsa verde mean every part of the leek is used.  A light and refreshing salad, for the warmer months.

Salad Ingredients

• 2 partridges

• 1 leek stem

• 30g (approx. 1/2 cup) watercress

• 1 satsuma

• Rapeseed oil

Salsa verde ingredients

·       2 tblsps leek leaves, diced finely

·       Oil

·       2 cloves garlic

·       1 bunch of fresh basil leaves

·       1 handful of fresh mint leaves

·       1 tblsps capers

·       1 tblsp gherkin, diced finely

·       6 anchovy fillets

·       1/2 tblsp Dijon mustard

·       2 tblsps red wine vinegar

·       6 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

Method

Salsa Verde

1. Finely dice the leek leaves (like the size of finely chopped chives), and gently fry over a medium heat in a little oil for 1 minute.

2. Crush the garlic cloves, and make into a paste. 

3. Finely chop the basil, mint, capers, gherkins and anchovy and combine in a bowl, and mix well.

4. Add the cooked leek leaves and stir through to combine.

5. Add the mustard and vinegar, then slowly add the oil until you achieve a nice consistency.  You may want to add more or less oil.

6. Taste, and add some black pepper, or a little bit of sea salt to adjust the balance of flavour, if you wish.

Partridge

7. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

8. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Season the partridges all over with salt and pepper, and place in the heated pan, and cook gently over the heat for 3–4 minutes, until they start to become slightly golden in colour. Turn the partridges if necessary.

9. Transfer the partridges to a roasting tray, and roast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until the partridges are just cooked, but slightly pink inside.  (Whilst the partridges are roasting, cook the leeks per step 12 and assemble the salad)

10. Transfer the partridges to a warm plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Cut the breasts from the partridges, and slice into thin slices.

Salad

11. Slice the leek stem into thin circles.

12. Heat some oil in a frying pan and gently fry the leeks for 2 minutes over a medium heat.

13. Transfer to your serving plates

14. Pick the watercress leaves from their stems, and add the watercress to the leeks

15. Slice segments of satsuma, removing as much of the white pith as possible

16. Top the leek and watercress with slices of partridge breast, and sliced satsuma.  Drizzle the salsa verde over the salad, and serve