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Perdiz de escabeche
Pickled partridge
Perdiz de escabeche: partridges cooked in olive oil, vinegar, garlic and bay, served cold the next day
Partridge shooting season fills the cork-oak plains of the Alentejo with hunters in autumn and winter, and escabeche was how their families kept the birds: browned in olive oil, then cooked slowly in vinegar with onion, garlic, bay and peppercorns, and left in the cool larder for days. Today it is made in the fridge and served cold or at room temperature as a starter, with bread and a green salad. A common mistake is serving it straight away; it needs at least a day for the sour, garlicky flavour to soak in. Chef's tip: use good olive oil, since it sets around the birds and is served as part of the dish.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 oven-ready partridgesor 2 poussins, halved
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onionssliced into rings
- 1 head garliccloves peeled and halved
- 1 carrotthinly sliced
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ¾ cup white wine vinegar
- ¾ cup water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season 4 oven-ready partridges inside and out with 1 ½ tsp salt. Heat 4 tablespoons of ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the birds on all sides for 8–10 minutes until golden. Set aside.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat, add the rest of ½ cup extra virgin olive oil with 2 onions, 1 head garlic, 1 carrot, 4 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft but not brown.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika, then pour in ¾ cup white wine vinegar and ¾ cup water and bring to a simmer.
2 minStep 4: Return the birds, breast side down. Cover and cook very gently for 40–50 minutes, turning once, until tender and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, with clear juices.
45 minStep 5: Let cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 4 days, turning the birds once or twice.
Step 6: Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Serve the birds whole or halved, with the onions, garlic and some of the oily escabeche spooned over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does perdiz de escabeche take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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