This is a famous and classical way they have in France of cooking partridges which are no longer in their first youth—although personally I prefer it made with quite young birds.

Ingredients

2 or 3 partridges, a thick slice of gammon, 3 or 4 onions, 3 or 4 large carrots, 1 cabbage, butter, salt and pepper and a little nutmeg.

Method

Put the partridges in an earthenware casserole with a large piece of butter, and simmer gently till they are nicely browned all over. Remove them from the casserole. Blanche the cabbage in boiling salted water for a few minutes and drain thoroughly of all water. Now put a few slices of bacon in a large saucepan, over this put the sliced onions and carrots, a bouquet of mixed herbs, then the cabbage, with the slice of gammon over it, and finally the partridges, all highly seasoned with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Pour in a few teaspoons of stock or water, cover the saucepan and simmer very gently for about 1 hour, or till the cabbage is quite tender. Ten minutes before serving, add a glass of dry white wine—this, of course, is optional. For serving, put the cabbage on a hot dish, put the partridges over it, and surround them with the gammon, cut in small pieces. Strain the gravy over them and serve very hot.