Roast Partridge Stuffed with Apricots, Pine Nuts and Wild Rice

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons green peppercorns, drained and lightly crushed 
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored and diced 
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 
• 1 cup dry white wine 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 4 cups peeled, pitted and chopped fresh apricots 
• 1/2 cup pine nuts 
• 6 boned partridges with leg and wing bones remaining 
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 
• 5 cups cooked wild rice

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 450. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet on a medium setting, and add the onion. Stir the onion with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute and add the garlic, stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes until the onions are soft and tender. Add the peppercorns, bell pepper, vinegar, wine, salt and sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes and stir the mixture occasionally with a wooden spoon. When the liquid has reduced sufficiently until it becomes the consistency of syrup, stir in the apricots and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Then transfer 1½ cups of the mixture to a large bowl. Reserve the remaining mixture for later use. Add the pine nuts and wild rice to the bowl and mix the ingredients well to create the stuffing.

Rub the inside cavity of the partridge with salt and pepper. Then fill each partridge with the stuffing and either truss the partridge or close the partridge with toothpicks so the stuffing does not escape. Season the outside of the partridge with salt and pepper.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil and brown the partridges, turning them on all sides. Then place the partridges in a roasting pan and transfer to the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the juices run when pierced with a knife.

Serve on a warm plate with additional stuffing mixture and wild rice on the side.