Wild Partridge Breasts with Orange & Thyme Sauce | Abel & Cole
Wild Partridge Breasts with Orange & Thyme Sauce
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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
It’s game season, and in this dish you’ll bring out the best in wild partridge by pairing it with caramelised fennel and a zingy orange sauce we know you’ll be whipping up again and again.
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828 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 2 oranges
  • 45g butter
  • A handful of thyme
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 150g buckwheat
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 250g wild partridge breasts
  • A handful of sage, leaves only
  • 50g watercress
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 300ml boiling water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Finely zest the oranges, then slice off the peel and white pith. Use a small, sharp knife to slice the orange segments out of the thin papery membranes. Pick the thyme leaves off their sprigs (if they are woody you can push the sprigs through a sieve and the leaves will collect in it).

  • 2.

    Add the butter to a small pan and melt over a medium heat. Tip in the orange segments and the zest, thyme leaves, 1 tbsp each honey and mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, till the oranges are soft. Roughly crush the segments with the back of a spoon. Set aside with the lid on to keep warm.

  • 3.

    While the sauce cooks, pour the buckwheat into a pan and cover with 300ml boiling water. Put a lid on the pan, bring back to a simmer and cook for 8-10 mins till tender. Drain off any excess water if necessary and tip back into the pan. Set aside, with the lid on.

  • 4.

    While the buckwheat simmers, trim the dry tips off the fennel (save any soft, feathery fronds). Thinly slice the fennel bulb.

  • 5.

    Pour 1 tbsp oil into a frying pan and warm over a medium-high heat. Season the partridge breasts with salt and pepper. Fry for 2-3 mins on each side, till golden and cooked through. Transfer to a warm plate to rest. Loosely cover with foil.

  • 6.

    Slide the fennel into the frying pan and fry for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, till slightly caramelised. Stir in the sage leaves and cook for a further 1-2 mins.

  • 7.

    Spoon the buckwheat onto 2 serving plates. Top with the watercress, partridge breasts and fennel. Serve with the warm orange and thyme sauce.

  • Tip

    You've got some sauce
    This recipe will make more orange sauce than you will need to accompany your partridge. Keep any leftover in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm through before serving. Delicious swirled through gravy to add zing and sweetness.

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