Partridge in a Pear Tree, by Chris McGowan

Our seasonal recipe for partridge, pear, parsnip and chocolate sauce comes courtesy of Chris McGowan, head chef at Corrigan's Mayfair in London.

INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)

â- 1 pear
â- 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
â- 1 shallot
â- 20g dark chocolate
â- 200ml red wine
â- 50ml port
â- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
â- 100ml milk
â- 2tbs butter
â- 4 leaves kale or cabbage
â- Seasoning

METHOD

First, remove the breast and legs from the partridge. For the sauce, chop the carcasses and roast until brown. Sweat the shallot in a pot with 10g butter, then add the carcasses, red wine, port and enough water or stock to cover. Boil, simmer and reduce by two-thirds. Strain the mixture into a pan, add the vinegar and chocolate, and dissolve the chocolate.

For the main dish, peel the pear, chop into wedges, core and roast. Heat the milk in a small pot; add the parsnips and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, then blend, with 40g of butter, until smooth. Cook the kale in boiling salted water, drain and keep warm.

In a hot pan, heat the remaining butter. Fry the legs for 3 minutes, then add the breasts and cook in the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with the parsnip purée, kale, a wedge of pear and a little chocolate sauce.

By Chris McGowan, head chef, Corrigan's Mayfair, London

RECOMMENDED WINE:

To match this winter dish, you need a wine that will warm you up, has depth, tannins and a slight sweetness about it. I naturally turned towards Amarone style wines and would recommend a classic Amarone della Valpolicella from producers like Allegrini, Quintarelli or Dal Forno. A great alternative would be a Sforzato di Valtellina (also called Sfursat di Valtellina). Made the same way as Amarone, it is 100% from the Nebbiolo grape variety, located in the Lombardy region in northern Italy.

Xavier Rousset is co-owner of Texture and 28-50, both in London