Eat Wild's Partridge Winter Salad with Salsa Verde

Looking for a deliciousm, lighter meal for those winter months? Look no further. Thank you to Eat Wild for sharing this delicious recipe with us.

Ingredients
For the Salad:

• 2 x Partridges
• 1 x Leek Stem
• 30g x Watercress
• Rapeseed oil

For the Salsa Verde:

• 2 x tbsp Leek leaves, diced finely
• 2 x cloves of Garlic
• 1 x bunch of Basil
• 1 x handful of Mint
• 1 x tbsp Gherkins, finely diced
• 6 x Anchovies
• ½ x tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 x tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 6 x tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

For the 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.

For the Partridge:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
2. 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.
3. 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 as per below and assemble the salad).
4. 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.

For the Salad:

1. Slice the leek stem into thin circles.
2. Heat some oil in a frying pan and gently fry the leeks for 2 minutes over a medium heat.
3. Transfer to your serving plates.
4. Pick the watercress leaves from their stems, and add the watercress to the leeks.
5. Slice segments of satsuma, removing as much of the white pith as possible.
6. Top the leek and watercress with slices of partridge breast, and sliced satsuma.
7. Drizzle the salsa verde over the salad, and serve.