Partridge with Miso Butterscotch & Kimchi

This is a great Partridge recipe cooked in the MIBRASA Charcoal Oven, the miso butterscotch gives this dish a fantastic umami/sweet richness which is cut through by the kimchi and pomegranate. Plus the butterscotch and kimchi can be done well in advance making this a brilliant quick-fire service dish.

Serves 4 easily

Ingredients

For the Miso Butterscotch

  • 200g of white miso paste
  • 60g of unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 40g of soft light brown sugar
  • 75ml of single cream
  • 50ml of sweet dark Muscat
  • 1 or 2 tsp of sherry vinegar
  • 4 boned and spatchcocked Partridges
    Ask your butcher to do this, or the easiest way to spatchcock any bird like this is to take your kitchen scissors and cut right down one side of the backbone, then the other side of the backbone and remove it. Then, skin-side down on the bench open the bird out and using a sharp knife or your fingers remove the ribs and all small bones from the flesh, leaving the leg and wing bones in. Then using a sharp knife cut out the wishbone and chest bone and cartilage. Take your time and make sure you take out the bones cleanly, you don’t want to damage or waste the lovely meat especially in such a small bird as a partridge.
  • Salt and pepper
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

For the Kimchi

  • 1 large Cucumbers, peeled and shaved into long strips using a veg peeler
  • 2 large heirloom carrots, peeled and shaved into long strips using a veg peeler
  • 200g daikon, peeled and chopped julienne
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 Bunch of coriander roughly chopped
  • 4 spring onions, cleaned and finely sliced
  • Fresh ginger, about a thumb size, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Gochujang paste
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar (use white wine vinegar if that’s all you have)
  • 1.5 tbsp caster sugar
  • ½ Pomegranate seeds

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients for the kimchi into a glass bowel, apart from the pomegranate and one third of the chopped coriander, and give it a good mix. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours but the longer you leave it the better it gets.
  2. Preheat your oven to 160’c
  3. Evenly spread the miso past onto a tray lined with a non-stick silicon pastry mat and place into the oven until golden brown. Don’t worry if the edges get burnt, this is a good thing and will give the butterscotch more depth of flavour and richness.
  4. Once the miso paste is ready and while it is still hot place all the ingredients for the butterscotch (just 1 tsp of the sherry vinegar though) into a food processor and blitz until it becomes a smooth consistency. Taste and if you feel it’s a bit on the sweet side add the other tsp of sherry vinegar.
  5. Fire up the MIBRASA Oven to 300’c
  6. Season the Partridge with salt and pepper and lightly coat the skin in a little extra virgin olive oil.
  7. Place the partridge skin side down directly onto the grill and shut the oven door for 2 and half to 3 minutes.
  8. Remove the partridge and place flesh side down into a MIBRASA shallow casserole dish and spread the miso butterscotch onto the skin, be generous and place the dish back into the oven for a further 2 minutes. The butterscotch should be nicely caramelised and bubbling away.
  9. Rest the partridge for 3 to 5 minutes before serving on a generous bed of that gorgeous kimchi, and don’t forget to top with the fresh pomegranate and the reserved chopped coriander.