Eat Wild's Partridge with Salt-Baked Celeriac

Searching for a Sunday lunch showstopper? Partridge is ideal if you're cooking for just the two of you, and the salt baked celeriac makes a change from roast potatoes. You'll need to set aside a few hours in the kitchen, but trust us - it's worth every minute. Thanks to Eat Wild for sharing this recipe with us.

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 2hrs

Ingredients:

• 500g Mixed beetroots (red, candy, golden)
• 1x Whole partridge
• 1x Celeriac
• 20g Egg white
• 100g Salt
• 300g Plain flour
• Water
• 3x Sprigs of thyme
• 1x Garlic
• 3x Sprigs of rosemary
• 50g Goose fat
• ½x Peeled onion
• 1x Celery stick
• 1x Carrot

Equipment:

• 2x Roasting trays
• Food mixer

Method:

1. Rub the partridge with the goose fat, salt, pepper and herbs. Slice the garlic in halves, and place them inside the cavity of the bird.
2. Place the prepared bird in a casserole dish with the carrot, onion and celery, top with 200ml water and cover. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes at 160 degrees.
3. Once you've put the partridge in the oven, attach a dough hook to your food mixer, add the flour and salt and egg white and mix. Add a little water as you go until the mixture starts to look like a stiff, firm dough.
4. Roll out your dough, peel the celeriac and place it in the centre. Wrap the dough up and around the celeriac so it's completely covered; it doesn't have to be neat, as you'll discard it later. Put the whole thing in the oven with the partridge for 1 hour.
5. Now, prepare the beetroot. Season the beetroot with rapeseed oil and salt, and then wrap each in an individual tin foil parcel with a sprig of thyme.
6. Place in the oven at 160 degrees for 45 minutes, until just soft. Try to use similar sized beetroot to keep cooking time consistent. If you have a few that are bigger, just give them a little extra time in the oven. When the beetroot is ready, unwrap the parcels then peel and slice into random shapes.
7. Check on the celeriac and partridge. When time's up, bring out the partridge to rest while you crack open the salt crust and slice up the celeriac.
8. Once everything's ready, place the partridge in the centre of a plate or board, and arrange the beetroot and celeriac around the sides. Garnish with fresh rosemary and thyme, and serve as a table centrepiece.