Unless we are vegetarian it’s likely we will enjoy at least a few meals containing meat each week. Christmas and New Year are those days when we want special meals made with the best ingredients. Wild and Game is a company that can help with some of the finest meat on the market.
Game is growing in popularity. It is by nature free-range and every bird, animal or fish is likely to have had a good life. It’s also healthy, versatile and full of flavour, so perfect for the holiday season. Steven Frampton and Michael Cannon, founders of this innovative new food producer Wild and Game, are encouraging people to put game on their menus this Christmas.
A not-for-profit company, Wild and Game launched in 2017 with a mission to boost game consumption in the UK. Wild and Game’s excellent links with game suppliers ensure they have an established source of game birds. The company uses game as a key ingredient in their range of high-quality pies, pasties, sausage rolls, patés, sausages and ready meals. They also sell whole game birds and handy packs of meat for easy home cooking. They have a collection of game recipes which are well worth trying.
Whole birds are especially popular around Christmas
“People can be timid about trying to cook with these ingredients, but we aim to make it easy for them, and to demonstrate how delicious game can be,” says Steven. “A lot of our customers start by enjoying our ready meals, pies and sausage rolls then move on to cooking their own recipes with our ready-to-cook meat. Whole birds are especially popular around Christmas time, and can make a great alternative to the usual roasts.”
“As game season gets under way we’re gearing up for our busiest year yet,” says Steven. “We hope to see more people than ever using game as a key part of their festive food offering.”
I have previously reviewed Wild and Game paté but now it’s whole birds and they didn’t disappoint. A brace of partridges roast to a wonderful meal for two. A whole turkey for a couple of diners is just too much, but a platter of small game birds and side dishes create a festive and perhaps even romantic ambiance. They are simple and quick to cook so no need to set the alarm for an early-morning start. Partridges are ideal for dinner with friends, too!
Harissa and Preserved Lemon Roasted Partridge
This deliciously different Wild and Game recipe uses partridges which are roasted with this North African spice and tangy citrus.
Harissa is a traditional Middle Eastern spice paste which gives a lovely slow-burning chilli heat. It is perfect to use as a marinade and enhances partridge meat wonderfully, to give a little hint of Morocco to one’s plate.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 8 preserved lemons
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 3 tsp sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- 90g of rose harissa or regular harissa – the rose petals just give a pleasant sweetness and soften the chilli kick
- 4 whole partridges
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
- Using a food processor or hand blender, blitz the preserved lemons, olive oil, salt, pepper to taste, and rose harissa together until you achieve a smooth mixture.
- Pour this over your partridge and rub the mix into the birds.
- Place the partridge in a large roasting tray. Roast the partridge for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of the birds) until cooked through – check the juices run clear when pierced at the thickest part of the thigh.
- Serve with your choice of vegetables and couscous or rice.
Read more Wild and Game reviews here