- 4
Ingredients
- 4 APP SERVINGS
- Partridge, Pear, and Wild Mushroom Strudel with Pear-Onion Chutney
- This thyme-scented pear-and-mushroom-flavored strudel is a glamorous way to serve 4 guests graciously from 1 bird.
- • 1 partridge, 10 to 12 ounces, giblets and neck removed
- • 4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- • 1 tablespoon minced onion
- • 2/3 cup chopped fresh chanterelles, hedgehogs, or other flavorful wild mushrooms, plus a few mushrooms, to garnish
- • 1 large firm green Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 2/3 cup dice)
- • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- • Pinch cayenne
- • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- • 4 sheets phyllo pastry, defrosted according to package directions, if frozen
- • Pear-Onion Chutney (recipe follows)
- • 1/2 cup Quick Game Bird Demi-Glace (below)
- • 2 to 3 ounces mixed field greens
- • 1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar
- • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Tangy chutney mirrors the strudel’s flavors, and lightly dressed mixed greens finish the plate. Use firm pears so the fruit does not fall apart. Assemble the strudels ahead of time, then bake just bef
Preparation
Step 1
1. Bone partridge without skinning meat, but removing tendons from the legs. Reserve bones for stock. Chop meat and skin, either by hand or by pulsing in a food processor, until cut into 1/8-inch pieces. Do not overprocess into a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat ½ teaspoon of the butter in a small skillet. Add minced onion and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add another 2 teaspoons of butter and the mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are wilted and have given off their liquid. Set aside to cool, then scrape into bowl with partridge.
3. Heat another teaspoon of butter in the skillet and sauté pears over medium-high heat until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking pan often. Scrape into bowl with partridge. Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons of the thyme, the cayenne, salt, and pepper, mixing only enough to blend well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
4. Remove mixture from refrigerator. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Lay a piece of parchment paper larger than the phyllo on a workspace. Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo on it so the long edge is nearest you. Brush lightly with butter. Lay a second sheet over the first, brush lightly with butter, and sprinkle on remaining ½ teaspoon thyme. Add the third sheet of phyllo, brushing with butter, and then last layer, without buttering it. Cut pile in half from top to bottom, including parchment paper. Turn each pile a quarter turn so long edge is close to you.
5. Divide stuffing into 2 equal parts. Form each part into a thin cylinder almost the length of one of the phyllo piles. Lay it about 1 inch from lower edge, and roll it up tightly in the pastry. You do not need to turn in the ends. Place the rolls seam side down on a flat dish, brush with butter, and chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Recipe may be done 1 day ahead of time to this point. Prepare Pear-Onion Chutney.
6. Preheat oven to 425°F.
7. Bake strudels on a baking sheet in upper third of oven for 10 minutes, then turn pan back to front, and adjust heat to 400°F. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes longer. Remove and let rest for a few minutes.
8. Meanwhile, heat mushrooms reserved for garnish in a little butter. Heat Quick Game Bird Demi-Glace. Toss greens with oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 luncheon plates. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of chutney on each plate. Cut each strudel roll into 2 portions with a sharp knife, then cut each portion into 2 pieces with a diagonal, sushi-style cut. Lay 1 piece of the strudel on its side; prop the second half up against it so filling shows. Sprinkle mushrooms around rim of plates, drizzle on demi-glace, and serve.
Pear-Onion Chutney
Ingredients
• 1 cup sliced onions
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
• 1/8 teaspoon each cinnamon and white pepper
• Pinch each cayenne, ground allspice, ground clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 to 3 large firm green Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice (about 2 cups dice)
Directions
1. Combine onions, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, white pepper, cayenne, allspice, clove, and bay leaf in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and boil gently until onions are translucent and liquid is reduced to a syrup, about 15 minutes. Stir in pears, turning to coat all pieces, and cook until fruit is just tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Recipe may be made several weeks ahead and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Quick Game Bird Demi-Glace
Directions
1. Chef Brendan Walsh suggests that once you debone any game bird, you chop the bones and roast them on a flat baking pan in a hot (400°F) oven until lightly browned. Then deglaze the pan with 2 cups good-quality, unsalty chicken stock. (Purchased stock, unless all-natural and low in sodium, produces a salty, chemical syrup).
2. Bring the mixture, bones and all, to a boil with a few sprigs of the herb of your choice – for his strudels he uses thyme – and reduce to ½ cup. Strain to remove bones and herbs.