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Braised Partridges
Singe, draw and truss three partridges as for boiling, put them in a stewpan with a slice of chopped fat bacon, and a bunch or faggot of sweet herbs and fry them till nicely colored all over; then pour in a little wine, put the lid on the stewpan with a few hot ashes on it, and let them braise gently. When nearly done put in with the partridges one-half pound of ham, cut in dice, and four large cloves of garlic that have been boiled in plenty of water; sprinkle a little Spanish red pepper over, and continue cooking for about fifteen minutes. When done take the partridges out, drain, remove the strings, put them on a hot dish, and garnish around with the garlic and ham; take the sweet herbs out of the cooking stock, skim the fat off, thicken it with a little brown sauce, pour it over the partridges, and serve.
A Spanish-style braise built on three things the text treats as obvious: whole cloves of garlic tamed by boiling, paprika, and a lid weighted with hot ashes to hold a very gentle heat. The garlic is a garnish here, not a background note.
- The hinge: gentle heatAshes banked on the lid gave a slow, even braise from above and below. Modern equivalent is a covered heavy pot in a 300-325F oven, or the lowest steady simmer on the stove. A hard boil will strip partridge of its little fat and turn the breast to string.
- Sourcing the birdsWild grey or red-legged partridge is a game-dealer item; birds sold today are often farmed chukar or grey partridge, dressed weight roughly 12-16 oz each. Farmed birds are tender enough for this treatment. Genuinely wild older birds may want longer.
- Singe, draw, trussBirds bought dressed will usually be drawn already, though wild birds are sometimes sold undrawn. Singeing means burning off pinfeather stubs over a flame; a kitchen torch does it. "Trussed as for boiling" means legs and wings pressed close to the body and tied so the bird holds its shape, which is why the strings come off before serving.
- Faggot of sweet herbsA tied bundle, roughly parsley stems, thyme and a bay leaf. Tie it with string so it lifts out whole, as the recipe expects.
- "A little wine"Unquantified. For three birds in a snug pot, about 1 cup of dry white or a light red gives enough liquid to braise without stewing; the birds should not be submerged.
- Spanish red pepperMost likely pimenton, sweet Spanish paprika, rather than cayenne or crushed chile. A teaspoon or so; note the recipe has it cook on with the birds for the last fifteen minutes, so keep the heat gentle, since paprika scorches and turns bitter.
- Boiled garlicFour large cloves per three birds sounds severe but boiling whole peeled cloves in plenty of water for 8-10 minutes pulls out the harshness and leaves them sweet and soft enough to eat as a garnish. Do not skip the boil and add them raw.
- Brown sauceHere this means espagnole or demi-glace from the day's stockpot, a roux-based sauce in period practice. A few tablespoons of good reduced veal or chicken stock, or a commercial demi-glace, will do the same work of gloss and body.
- Doneness and yieldFarmed game birds should reach 165F at the thigh; 30-40 minutes of braising plus the final 15 with ham and garlic usually gets there. Three partridges serve three as a main course, or six as a small course.
Partridge with ham, garlic and paprika reads as a Spanish idea rather than a French one, and the recipe half admits it by calling for "Spanish red pepper" and by treating garlic as something to be served rather than hidden. The detail about hot ashes on the lid belongs to coal- and wood-range technique. Note also that the birds are trussed "as for boiling" and the sauce is finished with brown sauce from the stockpot: the instructions assume a reader who already knows the house repertoire and needs only the variations.