- 250g/9oz caster sugar
- 250ml/9fl oz cider vinegar
- 1 sprig fresh tarragon
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2cm/¾in piece fresh root ginger
- ½ red chilli
- 500g/1lb 2oz fresh blackberries
- 500g/1lb 2oz carrots, sliced
- 1 litre/1¾ pint fresh carrot juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 450g/1lb large-leaf spinach, stalks removed, leaves blanched briefly in lightly salted water
- 6 partridge breasts (off the bone)
- 6 feuilles de brick pastry circles (available online and from specialist retailers)
- 4 Maris Piper potatoes, cut into strings using a spiraliser
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 75g/2½oz unsalted butter
- 150g/5½oz girolles, cleaned
- 150g/5½oz chanterelles, cleaned
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 6 circles sliced bread, fried in lard
- 6 leaves hispi cabbage, cooked and refreshed in ice water
- partridge jus or gravy
- For the pickled blackberries, mix the sugar, cider vinegar, tarragon, thyme, ginger and chilli in a saucepan. Bring to the boil then cool a little before adding the blackberries. Allow to infuse for a few hours and for up to 2 weeks.
- For the carrot purée, put the carrots in a large saucepan and cover with enough carrot juice to cover. Bring to the boil and then simmer until the carrots are soft. Transfer to a blender and pulse until smooth. Push through a sieve, season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- For the partridge, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 160C. Or until a small piece of bread turns crisp and golden-brown within a minute. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- Lay out 6 spinach leaves on a work surface. Put a partridge breast in the middle of each leaf and season with salt and pepper. Wrap up into a parcel, then layout 2 circles of the brick pastry and cut each circle into quarters. Wrap each spinach parcel in a quarter of pastry, brushing the edges with beaten egg to help them stay in place.
- Wrap the parcels completely in potato strings. Lower each parcel into the fryer and cook for 3 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside to rest and drain on kitchen paper.
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan, then fry the shallot until soft. Add the mushrooms and when cooked, finish with the tarragon.
- When ready to serve, if necessary, fry the parcels again briefly to ensure they are hot. To serve, lay a leaf of hispi cabbage in centre of each plate. To one side place the fried bread, on top of this add the mushrooms. Slice the croustilliant parcels in 2 and lay them on the cabbage. Drain the blackberries and arrange them around the plates. Spoon over partridge jus and finish with a neat spoonful of carrot purée.